Harry Potter and the Light of Life
by Dawn-artist
Summary: Harry, Ron and Hermione start their sixth year at Hogwarts, as the second war begins. Unthinkable horrors awaits them, but also unthinkable joys. Will Harry find the Light of Life? And what is it? (Will be a long story...)
1. Start of term

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.** This chapter has been slightly edited, but I have not changed anything major as to what the plot is concerned.

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life **

**Chapter I: Start of term**

Professor Dumbledore hadn't even the time to sit down after his welcome-back-to-a-New-Year-speech before a low rumble could be heard through the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry.

"What was that?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Harry, but they both knew it couldn't be anything good.

All the students and all the teachers were looking around, none but Crabbe and Goyle noticing the food that had just appeared on the tables.

"Maybe it was just the lightning?" suggested Hermione and looked up at the grey ceiling.

"That was no lightning Hermione," said Ron, "sounded more as an explosion to me. Maybe Voldemort has finally gotten through the wards!"

"Nonce-" started Hermione, but they never heard the end of what she meant to say. It seemed as if a great number of students had though the same as Ron, for quite a few had gotten up, screaming, running for the doors.

"Silence!"

Dumbledore's powerful voice rung through the Hall, as it has on Halloween five years ago and everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Another great crack could be hear from far away and made them all flinch.

"All students stay here. Prefects, I trust you to calm down those in your houses who need it." Professor Dumbledore's voice was the only thing that could be heard.

"Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, follow me. The rest of the staff will stay here to watch the entrances to the hall. Do not let anyone in or out unless they are accompanied by myself, Minerva or Serveus," he said, before giving Harry a stern look

With that, the three Order members walked out the door behind the staff table, leaving behind a pack of scared students and teachers.

"Do you feel anything in your scar?" asked Hermione at once.

"Nothing peculiar," said Harry, before pain beyond belief hit him. His forehead felt as if it had been stabbed with a sword and he screamed out.

"Harry? Harry!"

He could hear Ron call, before the world went dark. The pain followed him into unconsciousness, and he heard screams, children's screams and there were many flashes green light.

OOO

It was the same pain that woke him up. The blurred picture of Madam Pomfrey face came in to view and he could see Hermione and Ron too in the crowd that surrounded him.

"Harry, are you okay?" he heard Hermione ask.

"Is he here?" Ron asked with panic in his voice. "You-Know-Who, is he here!"

"No...not here..." said Harry, feeling the Dark Lord's feeling soaring through his own body. "He is happy...enjoying himself...death eaters...attacking innocents...children, Ron...killing them!" Madam Pomfrey's face was suddenly filled with realisation.

"Was it an orphanage?" she asked.

"Could have been," said Harry, sitting up. Madam Pomfrey's face went white.

"Oh no," she muttered, as Hermione clamped a hand over her mouth looking just as shocked as Madam Pomfrey, who got up and hurried away towards the teachers.

"What is it, Hermione?" asked Ron.

"The Death Eaters must have attacked the orphanage that lies on the other side of Hogsmeade! How terrible! Please don't tell me there were killing, Harry?" said Hermione with tears in her eyes. Harry nodded. Hermione broke down in tears.

"They are just children," Harry could hear her mutter with her head in her hands. Ron put a comforting arm around her.

The pain was still blazing through his scar and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the pain pass, but he knew it wouldn't.

"We have to go now," Harry muttered to his two friends, "the children need help."

"You heard what Dumbledore said-" started Hermione but something again interrupted her.

"Mr Potter!" came Professor Flitwick's voice carrying through the Hall as the small professor tried to get through the crowd surrounding Harry. Harry stood up.

"Mr Potter," the Professor said again when he came to a halt in front of Harry. "Myself, you and Madam Hooch are to set of at once. We have decided it is for the best-"

But Flitwick never got to say why setting out was for the best, for at that moment the doors of the great Hall opened. Every eye was on the shapes that stood there. Some of them were small, but others were clearly adults. They walked in, and as the light hit them Harry recognised it as Professor McGonagall and Tonks, along with a group of children, some carried by the older children, one of them holding Tonks hand. Professor Sinastra who had been the one to open the doors ushered away curious students.

Madam Pomfrey ran to the group as McGonagall and Tonks helped the children sit down on the nearest chairs. All of them were soaked from the rain and Harry could see mud splattered across their faces and cloaks. Tonks talked to their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, the two of them speaking in low voices by the door. Between Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall there was also a strained conversation, and even though every ear in the hall seemed to try to hear what was being said, there wasn't much Harry could pick up, but it was enough to understand what had happened.

"...teachers cornered..." Harry heard McGonagall voice whispering. "Aurors...Dumbledore portkeyed...Shrieking Shack...tunnel...take care...going back."

With that Tonks and McGonagall left the hall in a hurry.

OOO

They were left to wait much longer before the doors were opened again. In the mean time the distant rumbles of battle could be heard. Flitwick seemed to have changed his mind about going out, both he and the other teachers were busy tending to the children. Harry had positioned himself so he could see across the lake, he knew the battle was being fought there. Maybe there were more Order members in the fight? Lupin? Mr Weasley? Harry hated sitting cooped up here, not being able to do anything. His scar flamed every minute or so, but he didn't want to think about what that could mean.

Harry looked out over his fellow students. Some of the Slytherins were actually eating. He could see Hermione's thick hair over where the children were sitting, a little boy on her lap. Ron was calming down first years that had had a rather unpleasant start to the seven years they would spend at Hogwarts.

At that moment the sky was highlighted in green and red. A great BOOM could be heard and it seemed to shake even the walls of the castle. Harry's face was pressed to the window, he was looking for any sign at all that could tell him what had happened. Had someone won? Was the battle over?

A few minutes later he could see a group of people coming over the grounds from the Whomping Willow. Dumbledore's white beard shone bright in the night.

"They're coming back!" yelled Harry and suddenly nearly everyone tried to look out the great windows. Flitwick undid the charm on the door, and in strode Dumbledore followed by what to Harry looked like an army. There was Snape, McGonagall and Tonks, but also lines and lines of witches and wizards dressed in the same styled navy blue robe. Harry could see Kingsley among them, and he also recognized the Aurors Fudge had brought with him last year.

"Aurors," he whispered before running towards them. Then he realised something. Where were the rest of the children? Surely...there had to be more, many more. But there was not a single child among the Aurors, just grave adult faces.

Dumbledore stepped in front them all. McGonagall and Snape stood silent at the Headmaster's side.

"As most of you have guessed, Lord Voldemort has made another attack," Dumbledore said in the same calm voice he always used. "And as always, he went for the innocent." Harry could see Professor McGonagall's lips quiver. "The guards that usually stand outside the orphanage were today busy with the start of term here. The Dark Lord made his attack quick and I regret to say that he succeeded." Here Dumbledore took a break, before saying what they all knew was coming, but that none of them wanted to hear. "There are no more survivors."

A gasp of horror could be heard throughout the Hall. One of the children let out a heartbreaking cry, before burying her face in her hands. Harry felt his scar burn, black spots dancing in front of his eyes. Lord Voldemort was happy, no doubt about it. He, Harry, burned with anger instead.

"The castle is as safe as it always have been," continued Dumbledore. "The food will be moved to the common rooms of each house where you will eat. Prefects, you will show the first years their dormitories. Now, off you go." Dumbledore looked at Harry for a short moment and gave him a hardly noticeable nod. Harry didn't even want to begin to think about what it could mean.

Harry hurried out of the hall and joined Ron and Hermione by the stairs. They could see the children being led away by Madam Pomfrey, Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall. Two of the children, a boy and a girl, looked like first year olds. A boy with a bleeding gash on his forehead might be thirteen. Professor Sprout was carrying a boy on her arm, he couldn't be older than three. The tall girl that he had seen crying was talking to Professor McGonagall, looking very upset. All of them had tearstained cheeks and slumped shoulders.

"We have to show the way to Gryffindor Tower to the first years," said Hermione to Ron. "Will you be alright?" she asked Harry.

"Why wouldn't I? See you later," Harry said before leaving them. He decided to take another route to the common room, avoiding the rest of the students. He felt strange, empty in a way. It had hit him down in the hall that the wizarding world had become so accustomed to battles that no one was in shock after an orphanage had been destroyed and innocents had been killed. Did Voldemort make them all heartless? His scar was humming slightly now and the silence in the empty corridors helped to calm him down. He would still live to see tomorrow then.

Ever since the morning Dumbledore had told him about the prophecy he woke up with a fear that this day would be his last. It followed him through the day and was his last thought before uneasy dreams took him. Every time something happened, like the Muggle killings in Newcastle, the attack on Hogsmeade, or the battle tonight, he wondered if this was it. If this was the day he died or again became The Boy Who Lived. A murderer.

He would never coward out, that was not what was bothering him, neither was the thought of death. It was what happened if he died that was bothering him. What would happen to the Weasley's? To the world? And to Hermione? She was muggle-born after all.

Harry looked up from the stone floor and saw that his feet had carried him to right outside Professor McGonagall's office. He was just turning away, wondering where he had made the wrong turn, when the oak door opened.

"Mr. Potter? What are you doing here?" said Professor McGonagall.

"Err...nothing," said Harry.

"Then how come you are standing outside my door?"

"Just walking and thinking, Professor. Nothing else," said Harry.

"Well, I suspect you must have a great deal to think about," said McGonagall, suddenly losing all her usual strictness. "Now of you go, you should be in your common room."

"There was one thing, Professor," said Harry suddenly. "How many...How many died tonight?" he asked.

"All the six teachers along with... 31 children," said McGonagall, trying and failing on keeping a straight face." The teachers died defending them."

"Oh." That seemed to be all Harry could manage to say. 31? Children? 31!

"Three Aurors have been brought St. Mungo's and two Death Eaters have been captured," continued Professor McGonagall.

"And the Orde-" started Harry.

"Shh, we do not speak of such matters here, Mr. Potter!" McGonagall interrupted him with, before she cast a look down both ways of the corridors, assuring herself that none were listening.

"Moony is alright, if you must know." Harry felt relief wash through him at McGonagall's coded words. "Now, I have other places to be, Mr. Potter." Harry knew she meant Order business.

"What will happen to the survivors?" asked Harry.

"I do not know, but now I really must go. Good evening, Mr. Potter," said McGonagall.

"Evening, Professor," whispered Harry as he looked after Professor McGonagall's retreating form, before he made his way to bed.

**AN:** Do you like it? If you do, review and if you don't, review anyway! That would be absolutely spiffing!


	2. First day back

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter II: First day back.**

When Harry came down to breakfast in the Great Hall next morning, it was so early that not many people had risen yet. He had woken early after a troubled night filled with scream from children, green light and the high-pitched laughter of Voldemort. As he looked around, not feeling too peaky, he saw to his relief that nearly none was seated at either of the House tables. The staff table was half empty (no Order members he noticed), but his heart sank as he spotted a small group of people at the Gryffindor table, sitting and eating. Harry didn't recognize them, so he guessed they were first years. He could always avoid them. But wait, one of them was as tall as he was...

Then it hit Harry, of course! It was the five orphans! Their heads were bent down and they were just picking at the food on their plates. The little boy was sitting on the lap of the tall girl, playing with a hairy ball, which Harry strongly suspected to be a puffskein. The boy was the only one of the orphanages who seemed to be noticing the world around him; the others were just staring at their plates with empty eyes. Harry knew how they must feel.

"Whare's mssopt?" Harry heard the little boy ask.

"Mrs. Spot has gone away," said the tall girl. Harry saw that the shoulders of a girl with brown hair starting to shake.

"Ai want mssopt!" yelled the little boy, hitting the girl's arm with the puffskein. She just continued to butter her toast.

"Eat up, Ana," the tall girl said to the brown-haired girl who he suspected was crying, but she put no force was behind the words. As close as Harry had gotten now, he could see they looked extremely miserable, traces of tears on their cheeks and bags under their red, puffed eyes. As they became aware of him, they all looked up.

"Err..." was all Harry seemed to muster.

"I hope we haven't taken your seat?" asked the tall girl.

"Oh. No," Harry said as he sat himself down next to the oldest looking boy. "Are you alright?" he asked, the words out of his mouth before he realised their stupidity. Asking someone who has just been attacked by Lord Voldemort if they were alright was just about as stupid as...well, he couldn't think of anything more stupid at the moment.

"We could have been worse," said the tall girl, still buttering the same piece of toast she had been scraping at for the last minutes. Harry stuffed his mouth with toast to prevent himself from saying something even more stupid.

"What year are you in?" asked the girl, seemingly just to have something to talk about.

"Fifh' yea'" Harry managed to say through his toast. "Gryffindor."

"I must be your age then. I'm sixteen."

"Me too," said Harry.

"Benedict," she said as she stuffed toast into the little boys mouth, "is two and a half."

"I'm Damien," said the boy Harry was sitting next to. "And that is Anabella-"

"Ana," corrected the girl, hiding her crying face in a mass of brown hair that looked as bushy as Hermione's.

"My name is Willow," said the thin sandy haired boy. "Willow Vind."

"I'm Harry," Harry said. "Harry Potter." As whenever people saw him for the first time, their eyes shot up to his forehead, where he knew his scar was visible. Even Benedict, the little boy, seemed to know the story of The Boy Who Lived. He had dropped his puffskein in the tall girl's pumpkin juice.

Madam Pomfrey was suddenly rushing over to them and ended the uncomfortable silence.

"Are you feeling better now, my dears?" she asked. None of the children answered, they just looked down on their empty plates. "Well then, let's get you out of here. Professor Dumbledore would like to see you all in his office. Oh, I see you have met Mister Potter."

"Just briefly," said Harry.

"I am sure you will meet again sometime. Now if you just hand me Benedict, Ms. Libertine, there you go." Madam Pomfrey chatted as she always did, as she lifted the boy into her arms. The rest of the children also got up. The tall girl fished the puffskein out of the goblet with an old looking wand.

"Good day, Harry Potter," she said, before she ushered the children out of the hall along with Madame Pomfrey, the puffskein in her hand licking it's fur clean of the pumpkin juice with a long pink tongue.

Harry was playing with the flame of a candle he had summoned when Ron and Hermione joined him at breakfast. McGonagall, who apparently had returned, came around with their timetables. First up was Advanced Potions with Snape. Harry had been astonished when he had received an E on his OWL in Potions, but if he ever was going to become an Auror he needed the subject.

"You look sad, Harry" said Hermione. "Is something wrong?"

"Of course something is wrong!" said Ron, "He has just found out that he is going to be locked up in the dungeons with Snape."

"Shut up, Ron," said Hermione. "Harry, what is it?" Harry told them about his meeting with the children.

"They looked devastated, like there was no tomorrow. I can't help feeling like them. They're orphans, just like me. One of them is our age," he finished with.

"That little boy that sat on my lap last evening, he didn't seem to realise what had happened," said Hermione absently.

"What do you think is going to happen to them?" said Ron. "They don't have anywhere to go."

"They're having a meeting with Dumbledore now though," informed Harry. "So I guess it's being decided now."

"I'll hope they'll be able to stay in the castle," said Hermione. "They need to be somewhere they feel safe after what they have been through."

"Well, no time to think about that now," said Ron, looking up at the enormous clock on the wall. "We have to get our books now or else we'll be late for Potions. Don't want Snape on out tails the first day."

As before, the Gryffindors were having Potions with the Slytherins, but now also with the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs. Unsurprisingly enough, Crabbe and Goyle was not there, but Malfoy was, as always, pleasuring them with his company. But before he could do anything, Snape came and let them in. The Potions master seemed to still ignore Harry.

"What a relief!" whispered Ron. "Lets just hope the slimy old git keeps it up."

The potion they were starting the term with was the common Pepper Up potion. It was harder then Harry had though a so commonly used potion to be. The salamander blood was the far worst ingredient. The lizards needed to be fed pepper continuously to able it to live outside the fire and the pepper made the whole class sneeze. When Harry finally added the three drops of the strengthening blood and stirred seven times to the right, there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" said Snape. The door opened and revealed Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, would you mind if I borrowed Ms. Granger for a moment?" McGonagall wondered.

"If you must. Be quick," Snape said, as he looked irritated at Hermione. Hermione looked puzzled back at Harry and Ron, before she got up and followed McGonagall. Ron silently raised his eyebrows at Harry, asking if he knew what was going on. Harry shook his head and checked on both his and Hermione's potion.

They didn't have to wait long before they found out, for after a good 15 minutes Hermione came back, followed by none other than the tall girl.

"Ms. Granger," enquired Snape as Hermione shut the door, "May I ask whom you have found it fittingly to bring to my class without asking me first?"

"Yes, Professor. This is Ms. Libertine. Professor McGonagall has just informed me that she is a new student at Hogwarts. She was elected into Gryffindor house in Professor Dumbledore's office not yet an hour ago. She is here to follow the class as any other student." This seemed to satisfy Snape.

"Take your seats and don't waste any more of my lesson." Hermione and the tall girl, or Ms. Libertine, made their way towards Harry and Ron, but stopped when Snape decided to open his mouth again.

"Ms. Libertine, would you like to tell me why you haven't brought a cauldron?" asked Snape.

"I don't have one, sir."

"And why haven't you got a cauldron? Did you really think you could manage without it in a year with Advanced Potions?" Harry couldn't hold himself any longer.

"Sir, she was just attacked last night! Go easy on her, for-"

"_Be silent_, Mr. Potter, I am not interested in your opinion. I was asking Ms. Libertine why she hasn't brought a cauldron, not you." His gaze shifted from Harry to the girl. "So, do tell us all. Why haven't you brought a cauldron?"

"I don't have one, sir."

"Then tell me how you planned to get through my class without it."

"I don't, sir. Someone is buying my school supplies for me in Diagon Ally this moment. I'll have them by lunch. I'm sorry, sir."

"No, Ms. Libertine, I am sorry. To have another Gryffindor in this class. There is still time enough for you to make the potion. Get back to work, all of you." With that he conjured up a cauldron with a fire burning beneath it beside where Ron was sitting.

As always, Snape kept a close eye on the Gryffindors. Seeing as Neville Longbottom no longer was in the class and since he was ignoring Harry, Snape couldn't do anything else than throwing rude remarks at the other Gryffindors and praising the Slytherins to sickening heights. The few Hufflepuffs and the group of Ravenclaws were left mostly alone, but still the Potions Master managed to take a few points from each of the three houses, giving Slytherin just as many.

But even if Snape was keeping an eye on them, Hermione was able to tell Harry and Ron through the corner of her mouth that the tall girl, who's name was Leia Libertine, was along with Willow Vind and Damien Burrow, new Hogwarts students. Leia, who no doubt was hearing what they were whispering about, was not even glancing their way.

"But I thought Hogwarts was the only wizard school in Britain. Where has she learned enough to start in sixth year?" whispered Ron, watching his Pepper Up potion boiling.

"It's supposed to simmer," whispered Hermione, as Snape glided their way. Ron quickly lowered the flame. When Snape had passed, Hermione continued. "She told me on the way down here that a Mrs. Spot had thought her in the evenings. Of course, the children usually come here when they are eleven, but I don't know why neither she nor the other two did. Well, I suppose I will just have to ask her later. You see, I have been made her Companion, the boy who was starting third year was given one too. I will teach her how things work in the castle, helping her with her homework if she needs it, making sure she is alright."

"Just to get this straight," said Ron, "now you are taking more subjects than anyone, you have Prefect duties, you're the best student in the whole ruddy school _and _you have the responsibility for another student, not to mention helping me and Harry out with out homework?"

"You forgot S.P.E.W.," Hermione told him and that seemed to be the end of their conversation.

To his own big surprise, Harry's Pepper Up Potion didn't look too different from Hermione's, the only difference being that it was not as brightly red as hers. Ron's was more orange though. They all delivered a sample, Harry keeping a flask hidden in his pocket, worried that Snape might try another foul trick.

"Ms. Libertine, have you finished your potion?" asked Snape as Harry, Ron and Hermione were clearing anyway their supplies. Hermione looked alarmed over at Leia, who was still bent over her cauldron.

"Yes, Professor, It's finished," Leia said, straitening up.

"If it doesn't trouble you too much, I would like a sample," mocked Snape.

To Hermione's relief, the girl poured a glowing red liquid in a flask and put it on Snape's desk. From what Harry could see, it was even redder than Hermione's.

"Look's like you won't have much to help her with," Harry heard Ron tell Hermione as they left the dungeons. Harry couldn't help thinking the same.

But in Transfiguration, things turned out quite different. After being introduced to the class by McGonagall in the beginning of the lesson, Leia proved to possibly be as horrible as Neville Longbottom. But where Neville tended to blow things up, nothing happened to the pot plant Leia was supposed to turn unto an owl. Not that anyone but Hermione did it perfectly, but even Neville had something that looked like and owl at the end of class (even though it still had green, leaf like feathers). When they were finally dismissed from McGonagall's classroom, the only change that had been made to Leia's pot plant was that it sometimes flapped it's leaves as if they should have been wings. But as Ron pointed out, as he and Harry made their way to the Great Hall for lunch, that it could have been the caused by the draft from the open window.

"How can someone be so lousy, but still so brilliant?" Ron mused as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"How should I know?" Harry said as he helped himself to some pumpkin juice. The rest of their classmates soon joined them.

"You will not believe what happened in Herbology!" Neville told them as he sat down opposite of them. "I won 15 points for Gryffindor!" Neville, who rarely won any points for Gryffindor (but lost quite a few), was nearly glowing with pride.

"Well, good for you, Neville," said Ron, "but Snape took just as many points form us during Potions."

"Still as mean ey?" asked Seamus Finnigan, who along with Neville was taking Advanced Herbology instead of Potions.

"Yeah," said Harry, "no news there."

"Look," said Dean Thomas suddenly. "There comes Hermione with the new girl. Looks like she has gotten her new stuff." There was no arguing that she must have gotten her new stuff, because both she and Hermione were carrying enormous bags. Leia looked like she should break any moment, her thin arms didn't look fit to carry what looked like the whole Flourish and Blotts. Harry spotted Hermione carrying a large package with Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions seal stamped in it.

"What was her name again?" whispered Neville as Hermione and Leia made their way up between the tables.

"Leia Libertine," said Harry. Soon the two girls were seated next to Harry, looking exhausted.

"Do you have everything you need now?" asked Harry.

"Yes. At least I think so," said Leia, looking as if she was praying there was no more things for her to carry.

"Hi," said Ron, popping out from behind Harry, "we haven't been introduced. I'm Ron Weasley," Ron said as he shook Leia's hand.

"Leia Libertine. Nice to meet you, Ron."

"Pleasure," said Ron, returning to his food.

"Neville Longbottom here," said Neville, while blushing furiously.

"Nice to meet you too, Neville."

"Dean Thomas," said Dean as he shook her hand.

"Seamus Finnigan, Ms. Libertine."

"It's Leia. Nice to meet you all."

OOO

After continuing with Transfiguration straight after lunch and then a History of Magic lesson, the sixth years Gryffindors were free to go. Harry had discovered, to his pleasure, that they didn't have as many classes this year, instead it was written 'NEWT Studies' on his timetable. Harry and Ron were taking Hermione's council for once and actually planned on spending their time to do something useful. They had brought the Potions essay Snape had given them on Glover Hipworth, the inventor of the Pepper Up Potion, down to the shades of one of the trees by the lake. Hermione was giving Leia a tour of the castle, though Harry couldn't forget Ron's remark, "In other words, a tour of the library."

"Harry?" Ron asked when they had finally gotten started.

"What?" mumbled Harry, as he bit his quill, trying to figure out if the fact that Glover Hipworth had been very easily infected with the flu when he was a small boy had anything to do with him inventing the Pepper Up potion.

"What do you think of Hermione?" This made Harry forget all about Hipworth, and look up at Ron.

"What do you mean, 'think of Hermione'?" Harry knew what Ron was implying, but hey, why let Ron know that? It would be fun to see Ron squirm a bit after his argument with Hermione during History of Magic, annoying Harry more than once.

"You know, what do you think of her as a girl?"

"What do you mean, 'think of her as a girl'?" asked Harry innocent.

"Come on Harry, not even you are that thick! Do you think Hermione is good looking or not!"

"What do you mean-" Harry started, but stopped when he saw Ron's ears grow alarmingly red. "Alright, alright," he said, scratching his cheek with his quill. "I don't know, I guess she is quite good looking. But she is not for me mate, I could never think of Hermione in any other way than as a friend." Ron drooled further on his notes.

"Do you think I might...?" Ron trailed of in a scarlet blush.

"Might what?" asked Harry, very well knowing what Ron was fussing about.

"Do you think I might have a chance?"

"On getting together with Hermione?" asked Harry. Ron was soon sporting a nearly maroon colour.

"I know it is far fetched and all, Harry, after all she still writes with Krum and...What are you laughing at?" Harry had lost control over his locked up emotions and was rolling laughing on the grass.

"Come on, Ron! The two of you have been arguing like a married couple for years! If I haven't totally lost it, I would say you have a very good chance."

"But then, you might have lost it, look what happened to Cho Chang..."

"That was a crush, Ron. You've liked Hermione for quite a while now, haven't you?" said Harry, grinning madly.

"I guess you could say that," said Ron, finally the same colour as the jumper Mrs. Weasley always sent him for Christmas. "Since fourth year...is it that obvious? Do you think she knows?"

"Knowing Hermione, I would say she does," said Harry, still chuckling. "But why don't you ask her yourself, because here she comes." Hermione was walking towards them from the castle doors and Harry waved at her.

"We were just having a very interesting conversation-" Harry started with, but was interrupted by Ron.

"About Glover Hipworth! Really brilliant guy, don't you think?"

"Is that why you have spelled his name wrong?" asked Hermione as she looked through Ron's notes. Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Anyways Ron," said Hermione as she gave him his notes back, "Dumbledore wants too see all the Prefects in his office now, Professor McGonagall just told me in the library." Ron packed his things.

"See you later Harry," they both said as they left Harry. He decided after a few minutes of trying to focus on Glover Hipworth's youth, that it was no use. Whenever he was alone these days, his mind always drifted, and it never seemed to drift over homework. He packed up his things and walked back to the castle. When he was nearly at the entrance of Gryffindor Tower, he ran into someone. Or rather stumbled over them.

Leia was sitting in the middle of the stairs; her left leg stuck in the false step everyone knew was there.

"Mr. Potter!" she exclaimed with relief when she saw him. "Can you help me, please? Hermione showed me the step, but I forgot and...well..."

"Sure," Harry said. "You haven't been stuck here long have you?"

"No, I just came back from the library. Thanks, Mr. Potter," she said as Harry pulled her up. Together they collected her books, which had fallen out of the bag.

"And my classmates mostly call me Harry," said Harry, as he gave her back her books.

"Oh, I just heard Madame Pomfrey talk to you as Mr. Potter, so..eh."

"No harm done," Harry said as they both skipped over the fake step. He could help to notice how thin she was. Her legs seemed as wobbly as him own, just that hers weren't covered in pants, but knee socks and the usual skirt.

"Are you alright?" Harry found himself asking her for the second time that day.

"I don't know," said Leia slowly as they turned the corner. Harry saw her eyes cloud over with horrible memories. Harry felt helpless, but he was strongly reminded of his own pain when Sirius had died. Leia looked as he suspected he himself had done right after the loss of his godfather and friend, totally lost and unable to comprehend what had happened.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, before remembering that he hated talking about Sirius' loss to anyone.

"I would rather forget," she said, not looking at Harry.

"I know how you feel," he whispered and for the first time, Leia smiled at him, though the smile never reached her eyes.

"If it is any comfort," said Harry, "You were on the right way if you were looking for the Gryffindor common room."

They walked the rest of the way to the tower together, neither feeling the need to say anything. Harry thought about what girl Leia could be. He didn't get the strange Cho feeling, butterflies in his stomach and the ability to never say anything sensible in her presence. But it wasn't the Hermione feeling either. Or the Ginny feeling. All right, perhaps some of the Ginny feeling, but Leia was a stranger. He decided she was a Ginny feeling with a bit of the Luna Lovegood feeling on top.

"Have you finished the Potions essay?" Harry asked as they were crawling through the portrait hole. Thy found the common room nearly empty, seeing as most people were still in class

"No," admitted Leia as Harry sat down in his favourite armchair by the fire. Leia sat down too. "Hermione showed me a book in the library, but I couldn't concentrate."

"That's understandable," said Harry.

"Hermione is very clever, isn't she?" said Leia, looking into the fire.

"Yeah," said Harry, "Ron and me always get loads of help from her. The tree of us are best friends."

"My best friend is...was...Juliette. She was also the smart one. She was just 14, but still second oldest of us all. We got separated last night. Just thinking about what happened to them...her...Billy..." Her eyes had gone all glassy, and Harry wondered why girls always had to cry around him. But at that moment, they heard raised voices from the stairs, and a second later the portrait swung open and revealed none but Ron and Hermione. They were yelling at each other, obliviously.

"I am telling you, Ron, you have to take your Prefect duties more seriously! I don't understand how Dumbledore could have made you the Gryffindor Prefect, I am sure Neville would have done a better job!"

"Oh, so you're saying you would rather have it that I wasn't made Prefect and perhaps Harry was it instead! What's wrong with what I do anyway?" shouted Ron at Hermione.

"Let's see! You put Quidditch in front of your duties, you don't tell off people who are bigger than you, or whom you like, you lack firmness and that lowers the moral of the younger students!"

"And you can say all that about me, just because I supported my head in my hands during the meeting!"

"_Yes, Ronald! _I know you, and have done so, for five years!"

"Then I am sorry to say you don't know me at all!"

To Harry it seemed like Hermione had nailed Ron. But the last comment in their argument, hurt more than just one.

"Just sod off Hermione! From now on I won't meddle in your business and you won't meddle with mine. And if some cosy Death Eater should come to say hello, I hope you snuff it!"

"You didn't mea-"

But before Hermione had gotten to say her bit, a thin figure ran between them, knocking into them as it scrambled out the portrait hole. Harry could only imagine the pain Leia was feeling now, and it was not cooling down the anger he felt rise because of Ron's stupidity.

"Are you really that stupid!" he yelled at Ron, who still looked like he could twist Hermione's neck.

"I didn't know she was here, it's not my bloody fault she is touchy!"

"Not your fault!" yelled Harry. "No, I guess it was Voldemort's fault since he killed all her friends yesterday-"

"Don't say that name-"

"CAN YOU SHUT UP!" yelled Harry, making both of them back up. "STOP ARGUING NOW! YOU ARE EVEN HURTING OTHERS WITH YOUR BICKERING!" He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "I don't want some silly promise about that you have agreed not to argue. Find out what the problem is, and FIX IT!" With that Harry stormed up the stairs to the boys dormitories, leaving Ron and Hermione to sort their friendship out for themselves.

Harry must have dozed of sometime, because Neville woke him up when he closed the door behind him.

"Hi, Harry," Neville said as he threw his books on his bed. "So this is where you are hiding."

"Hiding?" asked Harry. "From who?"

"Ron and Hermione, of course. They are having a gigantic argument down in the common room." He paused for a second. "Yep,we can hear them all the way up here. Do you know what it's about?"

"Long story," Harry said, not bothering to explain it all to Neville. "Let's just hope they don't start hexing each other."

"Hermione would beat Ron into a pulp."

"Not so sure actually. Ron has gotten much better in the DA," said Harry, feeling the need to defend his best friend.

"I was just thinking about the DA, Harry. Is it continuing or what, now that Umbridge is gone?" Harry hadn't thought about that.

"I dunno, Neville. That all depends of the new teacher." The new teacher certainly looked cool enough, though Harry. The man in his twenties he had seen in the hall yesterday looked like what Harry himself wanted to be someday.

"He looked cool though," said Neville, obviously thinking the same as Harry.

The new teacher had actually reminded Harry strongly of Bill Weasley. Professor Dominic Bloom, as Dumbledore had introduced him to the students last night, had worn nothing less of black, dragon hide boots, a black robe that looked like the latest fashion from Madam Malkin's and a blood red shirt. He had had dark brown, shiny, curly hair, which looked better than Harry's hair ever had. Harry didn't know this because he had been looking, but because he had been seated next to Lavender Brown, who had drooled over Professor Bloom before and during the sorting with her friend Parvarti Patil.

"We don't have him till Wednesday," said Neville after checking his timetable. That seemed like forever to Harry. If yesterday and today was how the rest of the year was going to be, he wondered how the next days could get anymore exiting without killing him before next week.

While Ron and Hermione were still arguing, Harry went down to dinner with the rest of the Gryffindors.

"My parents fight a lot," Seamus told them.

"Why?" wondered Neville.

"They're both quite stubborn. And since she's a witch and he's a muggle, mam always wins. If he tries anythin' funny, she just threatens to put a Full Body-Bind on him. I remember one time, when he had eaten up a treacle tart she had made for her friends from Hogwarts who were coming over the next day. She stunned him, that is how mad she was!"

"Where's Leia?" asked Dean suddenly.

They all looked up and down the table, but couldn't see her.

"Probably wasn't hungry," lied Harry, although he knew the reason to be quite different. After Sirius had fallen into the veil, he had also felt the need to be alone, so he felt it was right of him to cover up for her.

OOO

"Harry! Wake up! Harry!"

Harry felt as if he had just gone to sleep when Hermione's voice drifted into the darkness behind his eyelids. At first he though it was his conscience yelling at him for not finishing the potion essay, but when the voice started poking his arm, he decided it was the real Hermione.

"Was up?" he asked dazed. Hermione answered by pulling of his sheets.

"Hermione! What if I hadn't been wearing anything!"

"I don't care! Up, Harry, please hurry! I really, really need your help!" Harry was still searching blindly for his glasses with his hand.

"What problems could you has gotten into that needs resolving in the middle of the night? Please don't tell me you have woken me up because of a book you have forgotten in the library."

"Leia didn't come back!" Hermione whispered furiously at him. "I was busy fighting with Ron so I didn't notice her bed was empty till now! And it's long past curfew, so if you could help me search for her, I swear I will do your Potions essay for you."

"Are you sure you told her about the curfew?" asked Harry, slipping on his sneakers.

"Positive. Professor McGonagall will be so disappointed if I let Leia down. Hurry, Harry!"

Harry didn't bother putting on anything else, so in his pyjamas and sneakers, with his Invisibility cloak under his arm, he and Hermione slipped out of the boys' dormitory.

"How did your argument with Ron go?" asked Harry as they were creeping down the Charms corridor under the cloak.

"Not too good. Oh, don't be mad Harry!" she said when Harry sighed. "But we have agreed on one thing though, to always speak our mind, so that we have don't to guess what the other is thinking and make wrong assumptions."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, if Ron thinks I am being bossy, he tells me, rather than rolling his eyes when he thinks I am not looking."

"And you? You will just continue as you always have done?" Hermione twatted him on the head. "What good would it do though?" wondered Harry.

"I read it in 'Men are for Mars, Women are from Venus'. It is a Muggle relationship book Harry, you wouldn't know it." She was right, he didn't know it, but now he had confirmed what he had believed from some time now, that Muggles had strange ways to cope without magic.

"Where do you think she can be?" asked Hermione when they came to the end of yet another corridor. They had now searched what felt like the whole castle, meeting Mrs. Norris twice and seeing Filch lump by in a joining passage once.

"No idea," said Harry. "We've searched everywhere." Suddenly Hermione did what she usually did when she had a great idea, she hit herself on the head.

"Of course! How could I have been so stupid! The hospital wing!"

With that she dragged Harry along, until they stood outside the doors to Harry's second home at Hogwarts.

"Alohomora!" whispered Hermione and the door clicked open. They tiptoed inside and Harry could feel Hermione letting out a breath she had been holding when they saw Leia's long black hair on the pillow in one of the beds.

'Finally,' thought Harry, as they edged closer. There was no mistaking her now, not from this distance. Besides, she had the little boy, Benedict, in her arms.

"She was just lonely," whispered Hermione.

With that the two of them tiptoed out again, leaving Leia and the little boy to a well-deserved night's rest.

**A/N:** That was as you may have noticed, the end of another chapter! Tell me what you think! Review!


	3. Delusional Dom

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter III: Delusional Dom**

The only thing that happened before lunch the next day, was that Leia proved to be as bad in Charms as she had been in Transfiguration yesterday. But then again, she actually seemed to impress Snape in Potions, despite the fact that she was a Gryffindor. Her Blood-Replenishing potion looked exactly like the sample Snape had showed them and it had left even Hermione goggling at Leia as she delivered her sample. Not that Snape praised Leia in any way, but he didn't throw one dirty remark in her direction.

In Hagrid's first lesson with them in Care of Magical Creatures went very well. Hagrid had to everyone's relief managed to get his hands on a band of Crups. The crup was identical to a Jack Russell terrier, except for the cleaved tail. The only thing the sixth years had to do was walk their Crup around the lake, which to Harry and Ron seemed more like free time, than class. As they now only had one elected subject, Harry and Ron had both, of course, ditched Divination, and Hermione had, after much thinking, elected Arithmancy as her subject. And as with Advanced Potions, Harry and Ron had Care of Magical Creatures with the houses rest of the students from each house who also had elected the subject.

Even if they wondered for it a while when they walked, neither Harry, Dean or Ron had any idea what subject Leia was taking. But they found out when they met Neville and Seamus at dinner. They could tell anyone that would listen that Leia had one other thing she was brilliant at besides Potions: Divination.

According to Neville, it had all started with Professor Trelawney, starting the first lesson of the year with repeating the art of crystal ball gazing. Trelawney had been given her position back after Umbridge had left. Firenze had politely stepped aside, though he still lived in the castle.

At first Trelawney had predicted a few deaths, but none other than Parvati and Lavender had taken her seriously. But Leia, who had looked at Professor Trelawney with the same disgust as Hermione had done, had asked to at least have a go when Trelawney had declared her unable to attend the classes since Leia hadn't been there for the first two years.

"How would that be a problem?" interrupted Ron. "The old fraud never learned us anything." But the others told him to shut up, because they wanted to hear what Neville was saying.

"Well, Leia didn't seem put of by Trelawney's comment, you know, so she takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and when she opened them again, I could swear it wasn't Leia sitting there. Her eyes were clouded over. And then she says, in a voice I have never heard her speak in before something about the dark lord and his servant in captivity joining him. It was scary."

"Wait," said Seamus, "I wrote down exactly what she said. Here it is," he said as he unfolded the parchment he had found in his bag. _"The dark lord's closest servant, with the look of an angel but who is not, will linger in captivity no more. The foulest force will attack their home and free the Dark Lord's second hand, whose heart is as dark as his master. Many will suffer for this deed, but none more than his single seed."_

Harry gaped at Neville. That was a real prediction, if he'd ever heard one. Was Leia a Seer? It certainly seemed like some thought so. Harry could see Lavender and Parvati, who had never bothered with Leia before, interrogating her further down the table, and Leia seemed to be liking the attention just as much as he, Harry, would have liked a photo session with Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Trelawney didn't know what to do," continued Neville. "At first she didn't say anything, nobody said anything of course, we were all shocked. But after thinking, she did seem to believe that it was a real prediction. Asked Leia to stay behind after class and all. What if she is a true Seer?"

But Leia didn't seem to want to answer that question, for she hid in the Library the rest of the day with Hermione. But Harry couldn't help thinking about it as he played a game of chess with Ron. Could maybe Leia tell him what would happen with Voldemort? Could she tell him the future?

OOO

The next morning the sixth year Gryffindors were lined up outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, everyone exited. Harry had held a DA meeting last night, asking if the rest of the members were interested in him teaching them defence technique this year too. Most of them had been interested, so Hermione had suggested they made the decision after they knew how the new teacher was. Only the sixth years Ravenclaws had had Defence Against the Dark Arts yet, and after Luna's description he sounded much better than Umbridge.

"He's brilliant," Luna had said during the meeting." He's an Auror, you know, only a few years since he graduated from the Academy. And by the way, he is the most handsome teacher, _ever._" All the girls had laughed then, and Harry had blushed before he pulled himself together and made them quiet down.

Ron and Hermione had actually made it one day without arguing now, they seemed to be on better terms with each other now that they told each other everything. Even if it meant Ron telling Hermione at the moment that she shouldn't start drawing hearts around Professor Bloom's classes just yet.

"Luna isn't called Loony for nothing, that's all I am saying. If she calls him handsome, then I suspect he looks like a troll up close." Hermione blushed, but laughed along with Harry and Ron. The door to the classroom opened as the bell rang and they hurried inside, hoping to get good seats at the front.

"I hope he wears the same as he did on the Feast," Harry heard Parvati tell Lavender as he sat down next to Ron. Hermione was sitting with Leia, no doubt hoping she could help the girl who had so far proved useless in anything involving a wand.

A second later, when Professor Bloom walked in, Lavender and Parvati didn't look the least bit disappointed. The wizard who walked up to the black board was wearing the same blood red shirt and a pair of black leather pants. He did not look much like a troll. The small talk died down immediately.

"Ah, sixth years, good day!" he said. Some of the class answered back, the habit Umbridge had forced on them hadn't completely worn of yet. Though this man seemed nothing like Umbridge at all. Professor Bloom dropped his untidy stack of parchment (it would have had McGonagall see red) on the desk, and then sat himself on the desk, next to the parchment of course.

"As you all know," he stared at the class with a calm face, "the shadow that again threatens the wizarding world makes Defence Against the Dark Arts the far most important subject you will learn at Hogwarts. Headmaster Dumbledore therefore saw it fit to hire an Auror for the job, since we are trained to the perfection in just that, Defence _and Attack_ against the Dark Arts. My name is Dominic Bloom and I will, obviously, be your teacher. I graduated from Auror training two years ago and Professor Dumbledore saw it fit that someone that had not forgotten all they had learned at the Academy to teach. Any questions so far? No? As some of you may have noticed, all of our lessons are double, so the first half hour of each lesson we will spend going through theory for a new spell or charm and the hour left will be spent practicing whatever spell we have just gone through. Now then, let's take the register. I was always late for classes..."

No one was late, they could have told him that, but Professor Bloom had to learn their names anyhow. He stopped at each name, taking a good look at the person. Lavender had smiled sweetly back. At both Libertine and Longbottom, Bloom seemed to stop for extra long. But after Patil, he stopped completely and looked straight up at Harry.

"Harry Potter," he said slowly, "it couldn't be anyone but you. Pleasure to meet you." Harry just nodded politely back.

When Professor Bloom reached Ron's name, he practically screamed it.

"Weasley! Is that you?" he said, pointing his quill at Ron.

"Yeah, why?" said Ron, sounding as he feared he had done something wrong.

"I went to Hogwarts with Bill, he is your brother right?"

"Yep," answered Ron, sounding relieved. No wonder Bloom had reminded Harry so much of Bill then.

"We were best friends," Bloom said, a sly smile forming on his face. "Just please don't tell me you look as lightly on the rules as the rest of your brothers, except Percy of course. I would really not like to find out how it is to teach a version of myself." The class laughed, as did Ron, but he blushed anyway. "I never understood how Dumbledore made Bill and Charlie Prefects and all that, and not me. They were always with me when I did my pranks. Not that we ever were caught, of course. And look, aren't you a Prefect as well? I be damned..." Professor Bloom laughed as he grinned at Ron, who was grinning back. Harry liked Professor Bloom more and more for each word he said.

The spell they were learning was the Blasting Curse and Harry proudly remembered how he had thought it to the members of the DA last spring. How surprised would Professor Bloom be when he found out that half the class could do the spell at the first try?

Not that the class was boring, for Harry and the others learned many new things as well. The theory Bloom lectured them was more advanced and much more clear than the pieces of information Harry and Hermione had found on the spell. When the half hour was spent and they packed away their parchment and quills and drew their wands, Professor Bloom cleared away the tables with a flick of his wand, and made a whole lot of pillows appear instead, a small stack was located behind each person.

When they had split up into pairs, Harry noticed that a peculiar thing had happened. All those that were in the DA stood on the same side of the room as him, while all the ones who didn't were on the other.

"Now," said Professor Bloom, "Any questions?" Matilda, a girl Harry rarely spoke to, raised her hand.

"Yes?" Matilda blushed, as Professor Bloom looked her way.

"What are the pillows for, Professor?" she wondered.

"To fall on, Matilda." At this Matilda seemed very interested in her toes, but Dom didn't seem to have noticed her embarrassment, for he continued speaking.

"You don't mind do you, me using your first names? So much less formal then. You can all call me Dom, that's what everyone does. Or Delusional Dom, as Bill named me after I took a bludger to the head during a Quidditch match, and afterwards imagined Snape river dancing on my bed." Then he blushed, as the class laughed, but he was soon laughing with them.

"Enough about that, wands at the ready everyone!" All those who were in the DA had been ready for ages already.

"At my call! Three, two, one, go!"

"_Flatus_!" the class shouted at the same time.

It seemed as if an invisible wall had hit those on the left side of the room and knocked them all backwards, no exceptions. They (including Leia, who had been paired up with Hermione), were all lying knocked out on their cushions. Harry looked up at Dom, who was sitting propped up on his desk, his eyebrows raised far into his hair.

"My, my," he said, jumping down from the desk, walking towards them. "Dumbledore of course told me all about his little 'Army', but I thought he might had been exaggerating just a little. And even though there has been some surprising students, like the group of sixth years Ravenclaws I thought yesterday, nothing has made me believe the rumours more than this," he said and waved his arm towards those who were knocked out. "But now, I truly see that you are better prepared than most full grown wizards sadly ever will be. The only thing I don't understand is why they didn't offer Harry my job!" Again the Professor smiled warmly. "I can tell you this however," he said, looking proudly at the eight Gryffindors, "that I will do everything in my power to help you. I can give you all the extra lessons or information you want, or help in any other way I can."

"You could always come to the next DA meeting," suggested Harry, earning him a smile from Dom.

"It would be my pleasure," said Dom. "Now, let's get on with teaching the rest of them how to blast properly. It would be best if you teamed up against each other, and them against someone in their own league. If not, I don't think they stand a chance!"

Harry was smile when he left the class was bigger than any he had worn in a very long time. With the aspect of not having any horrible teacher this year (apart form Snape), the year looked much brighter. The way things were going now; this seemed to become his calmest year at Hogwarts yet.

Seeing as Quidditch training hadn't started yet, (the tryout's were held next week), Harry and Ron went to the library with Hermione and Leia after dinner. So far, Leia had seemed like a nice enough person, though she was a really quiet. She was not shy, nor afraid to speak her mind, she mostly just didn't say much. She followed Hermione wherever she went, and Hermione seemed to finally have found the one who was willing to spend as much time on homework as herself. Leia seemed to be buried in a book at all times, but that was probably because of all the extra homework she had been given by McGonagall, Dom and Flitwick. But also perhaps because Hermione had advised her to go through all the books from the previous years, so that she wouldn't miss anything. As they were sitting in the library, Harry couldn't help to ask Leia some of the questions he had.

"Who taught you at the orphanage?" he asked, making her head pop up from the last year's Charms notes she had borrowed from Hermione.

"The nurse, Mrs. Spot. That's why I know all the Potions, Damien and I used to help her. She gave us her old school books. That's why me and Damien don't have to start in first year." But now it seemed that Ron and Hermione also had found the right time to ask some unanswered questions.

"Why didn't you come to Hogwarts when you were eleven?" wondered Ron. Leia looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Didn't have enough money," she said, drooling at her parchment, not meeting their gaze. "My parents didn't leave me with any money, not even an empty Gringott's vault. I've never owned as much as a Knut. Couldn't afford the books, much less a cauldron, three sets of robes and a wand."

"I understand," said Ron. "My family aren't flashing with Galleons either. You should see my dress robes! But how could you afford to start now then?"

"Professor Dumbledore. He said that all who wanted to be learned should be, so he bought all this stuff for me, and the same for Damien and Willow. They couldn't afford it either." To Harry and Ron's surprise Hermione, asked the question they had wondered most.

"Are you a Seer?" she asked. To their surprise, Leia seemed relieved to talk about that, rather than her economy.

"I don't know, but if you are talking about the thing that happened in Divination, that just happens sometimes. No one has ever called me a Seer before though, but after Professor Trelawney did it in class people have been all over me, asking me if they should break up with their boyfriends or girlfriends, if they would be caught if they sneaked out tonight and all sort of funny questions. But I could never pick what I would see."

"You have done it before?" asked Ron, not believing what he heard.

"Well, yes. Loads of times. Julie and Damien would sit up with me in the night, listening to what I said. I rarely remember what I say you see. They used to think I was faking it, but when we got so old we could read The Prophet, we saw that some of the things I had said came true, things were happening exactly like I had said. But I thought loads of people could do it before I came here. Mrs. Spot was more like McGonagall than Trelawney, if you catch what I am trying to say. She didn't have any books on the subject. But I don't know why I can do it. Just sort of happens."

"Sounds much like Harry not knowing he could speak Parseltongue," said Ron.

"Can you speak Parseltongue?" asked Leia, looking shocked on Harry. Harry nodded.

"I didn't know till our second year. But even before I knew I was a wizard, I egged a boa constrictor on my cousin." Leia was left shocked.

"Harry's cousin is mean," said Ron, "so you don't need to feel sorry for him."

"How long have you known you could See?" asked Hermione.

"Long as I can remember," said Leia, shrugging her shoulders.

"I thought you didn't believe in fortune telling, Hermione," said Ron. Hermione had up to that point not taken the rumours of Leia's Seeing abilities seriously.

"I don't believe in what Trelawney teaches," answered Hermione, "that is not the same as not believing in the art of Seeing. There have been many true Seers through the ages, Ron, I have read about them."

"But how did you find out you were a Parsel tongue, Harry?" asked Leia, looking as she found him far more interesting than herself. Harry had nearly forgotten she didn't know what had happened in any of the previous years. So he started telling her, about the Philosopher's Stone, Nicholas Flamel, Tom Riddle, the Basilisk, Sirius, the Triwizard Tournament, Voldemort's return and the events of last year, not failing to mention how horrible Umbridge had been. When he, along with the help of Hermione and Ron finally finished the story with the battle in the Department of Mysteries, it was nearly eight o'clock, so they hurried out of the library, not wanting to anger Madam Pince.

"Where did you get your wand?" Harry asked as they walk back to Gryffindor tower, remembering he had seen her with it before she had gotten her new things.

"I think it has been at the orphanage since it opened," Leia said as she fished the shabby looking wand out of her pocket. "I don't know who many who have used it, but it does seem that it has seen it better days, don't you think?"

She could have put it more correctly. The wand looked much like Ron's first wand, the one he had inherited from Charlie, just that it wasn't broken, but it seemed even more used and dull looking. It had grey hairs sticking out in the end.

"I think it's supposed to be unicorn's hair," Leia said, "but it isn't quite as bright as I thought unicorn hair to be."

As Harry, Ron and Hermione all had seen a unicorn, they could have told her that it looked more like Flitwick's beard than any unicorns tail, but none of them did, for they rather though she didn't need to know that. Wouldn't exactly be a self-esteem boost.

When Harry laid in his bed the following Friday night, his curtains closed and the lights turned of, all his room mates already sleeping, he couldn't help but smile. Today had been a great day. He hadn't fought with Malfoy once this week, which had to be some sort of a record, he had not been taken Potions of Snape the last few days and his scar hadn't twitched once today. But he hadn't forgotten the shadow of Lord Voldemort, far from it. But something Dumbledore had said during the summer made life easier for Harry. The headmaster had looked Harry hard in the eye and said with a smile:

"If you let him ruin your life Harry, he will. Fear is his weapon. But if you allow yourself to live as normal a life as you can have and not poison your mind with negativity, Lord Voldemort looses much of his power over you." And Harry had done just that, trying not to think too much about what would come. It would come soon enough anyway. Not that if was easy to not think about it, of course.

Dumbledore had actually spent much time with Harry this summer. During the two first weeks of the vacation, the two weeks he had spent at the Dursley's, Dumbledore had visited Harry every day, teaching him Occlumency himself. Dumbledore had been a much better teacher than Snape could ever be, and Harry soon had mastered the art. The clue he had found out was to keep his mind sorted out if. That may seem hard, seeing as he was Harry Potter, but Dumbledore had taught him a few tricks. If anything was bothering him, or if there was anything he needed to remember, he wrote it down on a piece of parchment before he went to bed and occluded his mind. All of Harry's troubles were currently lying on his bedside table.

But he couldn't help to feel sorry for Leia though; she was still as horrible with her wand work. Yesterday, she again had received unwanted attention from the rest of the class. The Daily Prophet's first page had been filled with a picture of Malfoy senior and the headline: 'Lucius Malfoy escapes with the help of You-Know-Who' The article filled them all in on how Voldemort had attacked Azkaban Fortress last night and freed his dearly beloved Death Eater. The ministry guards who had been placed there to look after the prisoners now that the Dementors were gone had suffered 'casualties'.

Harry himself had chocked on his juice when he had read it, his mind racing over the words Seamus had read to him days a few days ago. It all made sense. Leia was a true Seer. This was not overlooked by many and it caused Lavender and Parvati, who had left Leia alone after Hermione had told them off, to attack Leia with questions as she came down to breakfast.

"Are you a Seer?"

"Can you see whom I will marry?"

"Do you think you can transceiver some of your powers to me if I fix your hair?" Leia hadn't seemed to want her hair fixed, for it was still just plain black when Harry had last seen her.

Harry yawned as he cast Silencing Spells around his bed. Even if he didn't have his dreams about the Department of Mysteries or anything similar, he still had nightmares quite often. After waking up Ron with his screams nearly every night his first week at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, they had agreed that he would cast light silencing spells around his bed every night. He yawned again and a second later his mind was blank and he fell asleep, dreaming of memories too horrible for any sixteen year old boy.

**A/N:** The end of yet another chapter. Thanks are sent to my reviewer. If you would like to join her, you are more than welcome. All you have to do is to press the button down there in the corner. Not too hard is it?


	4. Nightly encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter IV: Nightly Encounter.**

The following weeks of September went by in a blur, the mornings grew darker and the evening stole more and more of the afternoon. The new Gryffindor Quidditch team were now training three times a week. Harry had returned to his normal position as Seeker and Ginny Weasley, who had played Seeker while he was banned by Umbridge, was now one of the three new Chasers. The two others were Natalie McDonald, a third year student with natural talents for flying, and surprisingly enough, Seamus Finnigan. They had kept Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper as Beaters, not being able to finding anyone better suited for the positions.

The Daily Prophet, who had turned out to be a truthful and enlighting newspaper after Cornelius Fudge had started to listen to Albus Dumbledore, reported to the students every day of You-Know-Who's latest attacks as they drank their morning tea in the Great Hall. Rita Skeeter was again writing for The Prophet, she was finally freed from Hermione's ban. But the ban had certainly done her good; she had not offended anyone who didn't deserve it, yet.

Lord Voldemort had not made an open attack since the 1st of September; he seemed more interested in gathering followers at the moment. Which left Harry to think about other things, such as Quidditch, homework and the DA.

The DA had started up again in the second week after start of term and Harry had witnessed its member's rise to new heights. Now that he had Dom, the new teacher, to help him, the job involved much less work for him. Dom found the spells and helped Harry teach the rest of the DA. They were advancing much faster than they ever had, even though they only had one meeting a week.

When Harry had asked Leia to join the DA, mentioning that Neville had become much better in the defence club, she had actually refused. Not rudely, but she had still refused. Harry had thought that anyone who had had their friends killed by Death Eaters would want to learn how to fight them, but Leia had not even seemed remotely interested.

Maybe that was because she still was as bad in Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts as she had been on her first day, Harry didn't really know. He hadn't gotten to know her any better, being to busy with other things. Since she didn't speak much when he, Ron, Hermione and her studied together, it was still he, Ron and Hermione who were best friends, Leia was just someone hanging around with Hermione.

But still, Leia was such a big part of his life that when something happened to her, he noticed it. After Hermione had told them, they understood why Leia had been nearly totally silent for a few days. The little boy with the puffskein, Benedict, and the girl Anabella, who had lived in the hospital wing up to that point, had been removed from the castle, adopted away to a wizarding family.

And so, Harry and Ron watched while Leia dug herself into the same amounts of homework as Hermione had done during their third year. But even if she seemed to work twice as hard as any of them, she didn't even have as good grades as Harry and Ron, if you looked away from her O (Outstanding) in Potions. Leia had mostly P's (Poor) and a few A's (Acceptable). There was nothing wrong with her essays, as McGonagall had told her a week ago, they were nearly at the same level as Ms. Granger's, but since her pot plant still hadn't done anything else than too hoot once, (while the rest of the class had turned logs into dogs), McGonagall had no choice but to fail her.

Draco Malfoy had been rarely quiet the first week, but that had ceased when his father had been freed from Azkaban. He had then picked up his old hobby, and again started throwing remarks after Harry, whenever The Boy Who Lived was in hearing range.

Harry was sitting in the Great Hall in the first week of October, as he could see the Slytherin making his way over. Malfoy was, as usual flanked by the dunderheads Crabbe and Goyle. Harry eyed them warily as he and Ron got up from their seats.

"I see Pottyhead has gotten himself a new girl in his gang," drawled Malfoy. "Have you and Weasel finally realised that Granger is no more interesting than a flobberworm? Or might I say a bookworm?"

"You wouldn't know interesting if had been right under your nose, Malfoy," spat Ron, "take a look at your own friends." Draco didn't seem to know what he should say to that, but he came up with something in the end.

"Found someone who is as mad as you now Potter? I hear she has the same habit as you with saying strange things in Divination. Why don't you get married?" Harry was glad that neither Hermione nor Leia was here now to hear what was being said about them.

"Shut up, Malfoy! I bet you're real happy now that you daddy is out if prison! Just know this, you are on the losing side," Harry said, barely controlling his temper.

"Are you saying you want me to believe that_ you _should ever have a chance against the Dark Lord, Potter?" spat Malfoy. "All you want is fame, Potter, too bad the Prophet is not helping you anymore!"

Harry suddenly remembered all the things The Daily Prophet had written about him last school year, about him being insane. He had forgotten all about it. Malfoy's insult didn't even sting. Was Malfoy losing his touch? He had yet to say a thing that really hurt. He told Draco just that.

"Oh, so you want me to start talking about your parents now? Or maybe Sirius Black!"

That did it for Harry.

"DON'T YOU EVEN DARE MENTIONING HIS NAME!" he screamed, stepping towards Malfoy, every intention to make him take that back, no matter if he stayed in detention until Christmas. Most of the Great Hall was now watching.

Luckily, or unluckily, Professor McGonagall rushed to them at that moment, no doubt having witnessed their argument from the staff table

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy! What do you think you are doing?" She said, looking sternly at them all. "Oh no, Mr. Weasley, you stay right here, and that goes for you two also," she said pointing a long finger at Crabbe and Goyle. "Now, who would like to tell me what is going on?"

No one said anything.

"I see," said McGonagall, "then 20 points will be taken from each from your houses. And if I hear you two," she looked at Harry and Malfoy, "as much as even raising voices towards each others again, I can assure you the consequences will be more terrible than either of you can imagine."

After that, she made sure Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle went back to the Slytherin table, before she took one last stern glance at Harry and Ron and left them there.

"I truly hate Draco Malfoy," Ron said as they walked to class. "I strongly dislike Snape, I have not one positive thing to say about Trelawney, and I could have easily let Umbridge alone with Fluffy, but I hate Malfoy more than I think I can ever express." Harry couldn't agree more.

OOO

As always, the last thing Harry did before he went to bed was casting the bloody Silencing Charms. After that horrible Quidditch practice, he was angry with everyone and everything. It was still over a month till they met Slytherin in the first mach of the year, but with the way things were going now, Harry thought Gryffindor had about as good chances of beating the Slytherins as The Chudley Cannons had on winning the series. Which was the same as no chance at all.

At last he managed to free his mind of the anger. In the warm sheets, no doubt warmed up by a house-elf, he drifted of into sleep after a while. But his troubles didn't end there.

The dream he was having, he had had so many times before that he knew when he would wake up. As always it started with Sirius' body falling. Harry could see his godfather's look of complete astonishment as his body arched backwards. Playing in slow motion, Harry saw fear enter the grey eyes, before realisation seemed to hit Sirius. The fall seemed to last for an eternity and Harry could do nothing but to watch it every time. Then he slowly fell through the veil, until all of his body had disappeared. Harry could hear his own voice bellowing.

"SIRIUS! SIRIUS!"

But as on the night in the Department of Mysteries, his godfather never responded. The veil just fluttered, and then stood still, before Harry woke with a start in his bed, sweating and panting. Another nightmare.

As many, many times before, Harry slipped into his dressing gown and walked down in the common room. The lights were out, as always, and Harry slipped into the chair he used to sit in. It couldn't be near morning yet, for it was still dark outside. Harry looked deep into the fire, where Sirius' head once had been. What would he have given for a glimpse of it now?

"It's not your fault," he whispered to himself, repeating the mantra he had developed over many similar nights. "It's not your fault, it's not your fault..." But even if he wanted to believe himself, and everyone else kept telling him that it wasn't his fault, still some deep place inside of his chest, the guilt threatened to take over. It had been his fault. It had been his fault that his godfather and his father's best friend had died.

But Harry suddenly became aware that he wasn't alone. Someone had just said hello.

He turned around so fast that he fell of the chair, down on the floor, losing his glasses in the process.

"Sorry for frightening you, Harry, I didn't mean to. Here are you glasses."

Harry knew the voice, but could only see the dark form that gave him his glasses. As soon as he had placed them back on, he could see that she was also clad like him, dressing gown over a pair of pyjamas.

"What are you doing here, Leia?" Harry asked, sitting down in the armchair again.

"Can't sleep," said Leia. "Just like you. I know what you are doing here."

"How?" asked Harry accusingly.

"I have heard you say 'It's not my fault, Sirius,' so many times. It's not hard to figure out what you are thinking. You're not the only one who feels guilty you know. I usually also come down here every night."

"What?" stammered Harry. "Why should you feel guilty for Sirius? Have you been down here when I have been here? I haven't seen you once."

"I have not had a whole night's sleep for the last month," admitted Leia. "But it's not because of Sirius."

"Why then?" asked Harry.

"Can't you guess that?" said Leia.

"No, why shou-...oh. What happened at the orphanage," Harry stuttered, still a bit surprised that someone knew of his nightmares.

"Damien, you know, the other boy," Harry nodded, "well, he said something that changed everything. He loves book, you know, very smart and all that. When the attack started, he was sitting reading in the book where he had my predictions written down. So he just grabbed it and ran. A few days after we came here, he showed me a prediction in the book that I had made months earlier. I think you can guess what it said." Harry did.

"That the orphanage would be attacked."

"Yes. Not in those very words, but afterwards it seemed clear as daylight. If we had figured out, we could have saved them all. So many lives. So many..."

"I feel the same about Sirius," said Harry, before he realised he was talking about things he rarely talked to anyone about. But now that he started, he didn't want to stop. "If I only had known it was a trap, I would never had gone to London. He would never have died."

"When thinking back, we are all philosophers," said Leia. Harry suspected it was a quote from a book.

"I keep thinking," Leia continued, "'What if we hadn't split up, what if Marie hadn't turned first around that corner? What if I had only been smart enough to see what was going to happen?' But no. And they will never come back, never. It was my fault, I know that. And don't come with that mantra you keep repeating every night; I know you don't believe it yourself. I know how you feel, Harry."

And for the first time in his life, Harry looked at someone, and felt a connection. Leia knew how if felt to be him. She could say those words, 'I know how you feel,' and Harry could believe her, could believe her. It didn't feel like when Lupin had said the same words, or when Hermione had tried to comfort him once. He knew they had no idea what was going through his mind. But what Leia just had said, was exactly how he felt. When she had said the words, he had felt a strange kind of comfort. 'I know how you feel.' When she said it, it felt real. She didn't judge him, or say that he should stop feeling like he did. She just knew.

"I sadly see you do," Harry answered, astonished at what had happened. Leia felt like a friend now, like Ron and Hermione, just that it hadn't happened over years, it had happened in the space of a sentence.

"What...what happened that night?" Harry asked, when they had sat in silence for a while. Leia had never spoken about the attack to them; she hadn't mentioned it since the first day, when Harry had asked her

"I have never been so afraid in my whole life," she started with. "Damien says that there first were many cracks in the air of people Apparating." That sounded like the Death Eaters Harry knew.

"I wouldn't know though," Leia continued with, "I was putting Benedict to bed. Then people started screaming. I took Benedict in my arms and ran into Damien and Willow in the hall. They told me You-Know-Who was here. Then we ran. I don't know how, but we managed to avoid the Death Eaters for a while. Neither of us could defend our selves, you know how lousy I am with a wand. We found Anabella hiding in the cupboard under the stairs. Then we met another group who had managed to stay alive. Marie, Billy and Juliette were there. And then they came." The look on her face told Harry that them were the Death Eaters.

"A woman was leading the attack." Harry thought of Bellatrix Lestrange at once. Another reason to hate her.

"We ran and ran and ran, but there was no way we could out run them. Billy fell in the stairs. We heard his screams. Juliette had me pinned to the wall, she wouldn't let me go back and help him. "There is nothing you can do," she said. That was the last thing she ever said to me."

"We ran again, hearing explosions coming from other parts of the house, and screams, so many screams. Then Marie turned a corner, and a green curse hit her. It was the _Avada Kedavra. _Juliette ran to her body, and the same curse hit her. We bolted the other way, and straight into the arms of someone who was not a Death Eater, even if he looked as he could have been one. It was Snape, but I didn't know that then. He hid with us in one of the bedrooms. After a few minutes, Dumbledore came in. He seemed to know where we were. He made a Portkey out of a pillow, and then the two women came and joined us. The fighting was still going on in the house. We Portkeyed to an abandoned house, I think it was the Shrieking Shack. We walked in a tunnel till we were on the grounds here. You know the rest."

Leia wasn't crying, like Cho had done whenever someone mentioned Cedric. She just looked straight into the flames, her eyes clouded over with emotions. But she didn't cry.

"I am sorry for your loss," said Harry, in barely a whisper.

"And I am sorry for yours," said Leia. "You were our hero you know, at the orphanage. We all looked up to you. You were just like us in some ways, you didn't have any parents, and you had grown up without them. We all wanted to be you, especially in your fourth year, when you were in The Triwizard Tournament. I remember Juliette saying she was going to meet you once and make you fall madly in love with her."

Harry was speechless. He was someone's hero?

"Now that I think about it," said Leia, "I would gladly never have met you, if I that had helped Juliette stay alive. I would rather have stayed in the orphanage, no education, no nothing, rather than to be here, with all my new stuff and The Boy Who Lived, if that could only make her come back." Now Leia cried, but they were just silent tears, dripping down on her lap. Harry found himself also nearly crying. He could have also exchanged everything he had, his life, his broom, if it only had made his parents and Sirius return. But he knew they never would. Never ever.

"How did you end up at the orphanage in the first place?" wondered Harry. She was born at the end of the first war too, had Voldemort killed her parents too?

"That's a long story," said Leia, wiping away her tears, "but don't feel sorry for me about that. I don't know much about myself. My parents are both dead. At first the nurses didn't even know my real name."

"Why not?" asked Harry.

"My parent's never told anybody, they weren't very sociable, to put it that way. I was only a couple of months when they died. No one knew what I was called. A witch at St. Mungo's nicknamed me Leia. Apparently she had seen some sort of muggle film with a girl called Leia in it. She said to Mrs. Spot I had reminded her of the girl in the film."

"What is your real name then?" asked Harry, his curiosity taking over.

"Never mind, I don't use it."

Had Harry touched a subject she didn't want to speak about? It certainly seemed so to him. Then, he was never too happy to talk about his parents either.

Leia yawned then, and Harry saw how tired she looked. She was still very thin, and the shadows on her face made her look even thinner. Like a skeleton. Harry was reminded of his godfather. Leia had the same grey, fathomless eyes and she was just as thin as Sirius after he had been in Azkaban. She had the same black hair also.

"I am going back to bed," Leia said, getting up. "Are you staying here?"

"No, I should get some sleep," said Harry, "its Quidditch training tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams," Leia said as she disappeared up to the girls' dormitories.

"You wish," Harry thought, before he also went back to bed.

**A/N:** Finally, the story gets better. But don't worry, this will last for a while. I got a whole lot of horrible (and enjoyable) things Harry has to go through. Just you wait...Really sorry about any spelling mistakes, I hope there are not too many, though I am sure there is.


	5. The Gifts of a Seer

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter V: The Gifts of a Seer**

From that night on, Leia was a part of their little gang. She didn't change her behaviour or anything, it was just the fact that she knew how Harry felt. Harry knew he could trust her, just like he could with Ron and Hermione.

Harry had told Ron and Hermione what Leia had said that night under dinner a few days later, while Leia had been sitting with Willow at the Hufflepuff table. For Leia was still unknowing about a fair few things that had been going on. They had not told her everything...

The one thing they had very carefully avoided telling her anything about, was the fact that they were on the inside of The Order of Phoenix. Even if the name 'The Order of the Phoenix', was something everyone knew what stood for, no one that wasn't trusted by Dumbledore knew anything else than that Dumbledore was the leader. Harry, Hermione and Ron had learned to trust no one after what had happened the last years, but Harry felt that they should let her in on their secret.

Ron and Hermione had agreed, but Hermione thought they should ask Dumbledore if they could. "Just imagine what the effects can be if he knows she can't be trusted," she whispered before Leia joined came back.

Harry had taken the council, and planned to go to Dumbledore's office the next afternoon. But it turned out he didn't need to.

As he was sitting at breakfast the next day, a piece of parchment fell from of empty air and into his porridge. He unfolded it and read the words.

_She can be trusted._

Harry recognized the handwriting at once, it was Dumbledore's. How that man kept track of things, he had no idea, though he was relieve that Leia could be trusted.

They told her in the weekend, again in the library. She was not shocked this time though.

"Well, there was no way Dumbledore would have kept Harry outside his Order, so I figured he had to be in it. Besides, Damien thought you were."

"How in the name of Merlin could he known?" asked Ron, earning him a "Shh!" from Madam Pince.

"He read it in this," said Leia, pulling up a worn, brown, leather-bound book. "This is the book where he writes down my predictions. When I looked through it a few weeks ago, I realised I had made quite a few predictions about what had happened here at Hogwarts. It was easy sorting out the rest."

She opened the book and searched the pages until she seemingly found what she was looking for.

"To prove my point, this is from late may 1995, a few weeks before the third task. '_The price the golden boy will win, but it will only bring him pain. In the shadow of the dead, he who never died shall stand again. In body new, but mind the old, he will try to kill the hope of the world. But if he shall complete his fate, I can not see today.'_ I didn't know for sure that You-Know-Who had returned till nearly a year later."

"Bloody hell!" said Ron and took the book from her. He looked through the pages, his mouth falling open time after time.

"It says here about Umbridge coming to Hogwarts. Listen, '_Short in statue and in skills_,' that has to be her! And here is something about the Order, '_they will hide in rooms of which, darkness has left much amiss. Hidden to the eye it will be, only visible to Bumblebee.'"_

"Is that of the Order?" asked Leia. "We never understood that one. But I will show you what made us see Harry and you had to be in the Order."

She took the book back from Ron, and skipped many pages back.

"This was the same summer after the first task, Damien has written I made the prediction August 1st. '_He who lives with his mother's blood, will soon be gone from his home. The scarred soul will travel to the bird's nest, where he will meet friends at last. But in the home of faithful guard, he will not find peace, alas. Though his hope shall be renewed, now that he lives under headmaster's roof.'_ As you see, it wasn't hard to guess what was happening."

Harry was just blinking at Leia. She could tell the future! It had failed to hit him as hard as it should before now. She could tell the future!

"What is the last prediction you have made?" asked Harry, blood pumping in his ears.

"Let's see. I made that last weekend when I sat up with Damien," Leia said as she folded the pages carefully, "Here it is. It is the other one of those I don't understand. See if you can make anything of it. _"He left for what he thought was right, making the turn that changed the redhead's life. But doubt begins to gnaw his heart, for now the truth stares him in the eye. He will return before the new year, completing the family by the Christmas tree."_

As Leia read the last words, Ron snatched the book out of her hands and reread and reread the passage. As both Hermione and Harry also had discovered, the prediction had been about Percy, Ron's oldest brother who had sided with the Ministry after Voldemort's return. But even after Fudge had started believing that Voldemort had truly come back, Percy hadn't written as much as a letter, or trying to get in touch with his family in any other way. Mrs. Weasley was still in tears every time someone mentioned him.

Ron had hugged Leia before they had split up and went to bed. Harry hadn't seen Ron so shocked since he had found out that Mr. Weasley had been attacked by Voldemort's snake last Christmas. Ron had sat awake in his bed that night, not even trying to make Harry think he was sleeping. Harry felt very happy for him, but he was also jealous.

Leia could truly tell the future! Then why did she bother with things like that, when there was a war going on? Why couldn't she have said what would happen to the world, instead of the Weasley's? Why couldn't she say what would happen to him?

**A/N: **Two reviews! It's amazing! Though I have to disappoint you, she is not Harry's sister. Sorry. It is trickier than that. Just you wait...Sorry again for the spelling, and the short chapter!


	6. Malfoy's unexpected defender

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter VI: Malfoy's Unexpected Defender.**

The last lesson on Thursday was Potions and it went as bad as always, seeing as Snape had stopped ignoring Harry. But Snape, as Malfoy, didn't manage to annoy Harry to the same extent as they had last year.

The potion they had started making was called the Draught of the Living Dead. If you ever needed to pretend you were dead, this was what you were looking for. The potion left you as dead for a period of time, depending on how much you took. Well, you didn't die exactly, it just stopped everything; your heart, your breath, anything that showed you were alive. Put your body on pause, in a way.

It was the first time they used Runespoor eggs in their Potions. Snape himself had added the powdered eggshells to each of their infusions of asphodel and wormswood, he apparently believe they would try to steal the rare powder for their own, illegal use. Which he, of course, was right in believing.

The class had ended in Leia and Hermione delivering their oh-so-perfect potions, just as usual. Hermione worked twice as hard with Potions, trying to get as good as Leia. But for once, Leia seemed to get everything right, and Hermione still had 'E' in potions.. Harry could see it angered Hermione greatly, but he didn't mention it, though he was afraid Ron would.

Harry's potion hadn't gone too well. Ever since he had realised Leia could tell the future, the need to ask her what would happen to him had be going over and over in his head. What if it was already decided that he should win over Voldemort? That would be such an enormous relief. But then, it was more likely Voldemort's victory over him that would take place, so Harry was in a dilemma. Did he want to know the future, or didn't he?

All this thinking had resulted in his potions boiling a minute or two too much, which made it yellow, instead of the blood red it was supposed to be. Snape had smiled when he had seen it.

Harry shoved his books into his bag and headed for the door. Now he was really in the mood for a good, long Quidditch practice to get his mind of everything. But what met him outside the dungeons, quickly put a stopper to his thoughts anyway.

Draco Malfoy was standing there, side by side with Blaise Zabini. Pansy Parkinson was nowhere to be seen, neither was Crabbe or Goyle. Harry wondered what the Slytherin was up to this time.

"Potter, just the one I wanted to see," started Malfoy in his usual sneer. "I wondered if I could have a word?"

"You've had more than one already, now you can sod of, Malfoy!" answered Harry right back. He was in no mood for Malfoy now, not that he ever was. The coward never dared anything, Harry was quite frankly tired of him.

"Oh, but I would like some more words Potter. But not with all this lower class around!" Malfoy said, looking at Hermione, Ron, Leia and Dean, who all had filed up behind Harry.

"We are higher class than you will ever be," Hermione said, earning her Malfoy's attention.

"Really, Granger? Since you are Pottyhead's girlfriend now, have you come to think of yourself as better than the rest of us?" Hermione was infuriated, but Harry was the one who answered.

"She's not my girlfriend, Malfoy. And if she for one moment thought that she was better than you, which she doesn't, she would be right in thinking so!" Harry yelled, his anger getting to him. Malfoy could bitch as much as he wanted about him, but he would _never_ allow him to hurt Hermione or Ron!

"You have some nerve, Potter, but there is no reason to get mad. All I asked for was a few words with less people around."

"Oh, like the wizard's duel in our first year?" Harry wondered. "Filch was dying to meet me, but I don't remember seeing you there. Who are you leading me to this time? Your daddy perhaps, waiting to take me to his master? I can imagine you, just like him, crawling at Voldemort's feet-"

"Shut up Potter!" Malfoy sneered, his cheeks flustering with anger. "Malfoy's never crawl!"

"Oh, that's not how I remember your father in the circle of Death Eaters. He was crawling! And so was your Auntie Bellatrix when she apologized to him. After that night Malfoy, I will never listen to anyone in whose blood runs the blood of a Death Eater!"

"Don't say that!" said a voice Harry hadn't thought he would be hearing. Leia?

Harry turned around to look at her.

"Don't judge him because of who his father is," she said, looking past him, straight at Malfoy.

"He doesn't need to!" said Ron. "Malfoy here has proved time after time, all by himself, that he is the pure offspring of evil!"

Harry, for once, didn't know what to say. Was Leia, a Gryffindor, and someone who he had just started to think of as his friend, sticking up for Draco Malfoy? And she, who had been attacked by Death Eaters less then 2 months earlier! Malfoy's drawl brought him back to the world. The pointy-faced boy was talking to Leia.

"And you must be...Ms. Libertine. Am I not correct? And why would you, surly a half-blood since you come from an orphanage, be defending me against Potter? Isn't he your saviour?"

"I am not defending you, I am merely advising Harry-"

"WHA-" Harry started, but Leia ignored him and continued.

"-AND for your information, I am of purer blood than you, Draco, even if you can trace your line back to both the Malfoy's and the noble Black's."

"And how can that be?" asked Malfoy, suddenly very interested.

"None of your business. Now, Harry," she said, looking Harry in the eyes, Harry looking straight back. "Just listen to him, what he has to say, he might have changed. There is no reason he is as horrible as his fat-"

But with that, Harry had just about had enough.

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" he screamed right in Leia's face. He was angry, so angry he hadn't been in a very long time. Never before had a friend betrayed him! He felt the need to hit something, hit something so that it broke, so that it hurt!

Not wanting it to be his friends that he hit, Harry turned and ran up from the dungeons, ran away from Leia, away from Malfoy, away from them all.

OOO

When Harry sat down at dinner he was so careless that he managed to trip over his goblet. Furiously, he clanked it back up. He and Leia had seemed so alike. She had been the first person who could look him in the eye and understand what he was feeling. And now she was defending Malfoy!

Hermione and Ron came rushing into the hall a few minutes later. Harry saw them both sigh with relief when they saw him. He noticed Leia was not with them.

"Thank Merlin we found you!" exclaimed Ron, "Hermione was worried sick that you would do something stupid. Don't worry," he added, "we told Leia to bugger off. She didn't reply though, she just stared back with those grey dull eyes."

"Thanks," said Harry.

"I can't imagine what would make her do something like that," said Hermione.

"Probably knocked her head when she was little," said Ron. "Well, there has to be something wrong with her when she's defending Malfoy!"

"But didn't you hear her, Ron? She said she was _not_ defending Malfoy, but advising Harry."

"I's still tha same," said Ron through his potatoes. Harry again felt strongly for siding with Ron.

It was still a few hours left before Quidditch training began, and since Ron and Hermione had patrolling duty to do, Harry was left alone. As always, his mind wandered, still not in the direction of his homework, but around what was currently pissing him of. Leia.

How could ANYONE be so understanding, and at the same time, not understand anything? They had told her about the Order and everything! What if she was a fake? What would they tell Dumbledore?

That was what he was thinking about when he sat down in a patch of blinding sunlight on one of the lesser-used staircases. It felt good to let the sun wash away his problems. The light warmed him all the way down to his toes, much like Lupin's chocolate, and he closed his eyes.

But suddenly, the sun disappeared. Harry opened his eyes to get up, since a cloud obviously had covered for the sun, but found out that someone had stepped in front of the window instead.

When he saw who it was, he was leaving anyway.

**A/N: **Another chapter! Just stating to obvious... If you want to state anything, then you better review! That would be absolutely corking!


	7. Fate's betrayal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter VII: Fate's betrayal.**

"Don't get worked up, Harry. It's not worth it." Leia said, her voice as calm as ever. Harry, who was standing a few steps further up than her, felt the need to hex her into oblivion. Why wasn't she screaming at him at least? Then he would have the right to scream back!

"I'll tell you why I don't think it is a wise idea to treat Malfoy like you do," continued Leia.

"Why would I be interested though?" said Harry. She again ignored his protests.

"Do you believe a leopard can change its spots, Harry?"

"You mean, can a person change from bad to good? Yeah, I guess so, but Malfoy is different. It's in his blood to be evil." Leia sighed.

"So you're saying that if a person is evil or not depends on their parents? Their heritage?"

"Yes, I do," said Harry, not getting what she wanted with stating the obvious. "In most cases, like the Malfoy case. But of course, there are exceptions, like Sirius."

"So most wizards who have dark wizards as parents usually turn out bad?"

"Let me think. Salazar Slytherin-Tom Riddle...as bad as it can go. Malfoy senior-Malfoy junior...the one a copy of the other. Goyle senior-Goyle Junior, yeah, it fits there too. So I think I'll answer yes to that question."

"But you also believed we all could change. Can't we all shape our own fate?"

"You are twisting my words!" Harry yelled, and turned to leave.

"No, I am not, I am merely trying to make you see something. Harry, listen to me!"

Harry continued walking, but he could clearly hear what she was saying.

"If fighting against You-Know-Who's beliefs shall be considered right, you can not judge the bad guys as they judge our side! You have to believe that everyone is equal, that we are all the same! You have to have faith that there is enough good in everyone! You can't judge them for what they are born as, then you turn as bad as them! If you judge Malfoy for who he was born as, he can judge Hermione for being Muggle-born! Don't you see?" Harry had turned on his heels a long time ago, and stood face to face with Leia again.

"You don't understand! He's a vermin, his aunt kill-"

"I know what he is! Hermione and Ron yelled it my face, so there is no reason for you to repeat that," Leia said, looking sadly at Harry. "But if you judge Malfoy in that way, what you fight for is no longer right in my book," She still wasn't yelling, but her voice held a note of desperation that Harry hadn't heard before.

"I don't care about your book," growled Harry. But Leia didn't give up.

"After you have killed You-Know-Who, what will you do then? Hunt down every pure-blood-"

"Only the ones who follow Voldemort! Every Death Eater, and all those who have connections with them, everyone shall get their punishment."

"And Draco Malfoy?"

"I'll make sure his name gets so dirty that he can't wash it clean, even in a 100 years. After what his family has done to me, I will make sure he pays."

"And that is exactly what You-Know-Who is doing! He is just paying back for how terrible the Muggles treated him. Don't you see Harry, you are turning as bad as them! I know that everyone will never love you and the cause you fight for, but you can make sure you give no one a just reason to hate you! Lucius Malfoy is not the same person as his son, you can hold Draco responsible for his father's actions!"

Harry glared at her. Had she gone mad? What was she thinking, that Death Eaters put down their wand if you smiled at them and offered them cookies?

"You have to give them a chance," she continued.

"Malfoy has spent his."

"What if he wanted to come over to our side, have you thought about that?"

"Not even a snowflake's chance in hell," said Harry. If Malfoy ever did anything unselfish, Harry would eat his own shoe.

"He was standing with Zabini. Tell me if I am wrong, but I thought the Zabini's to be as Dumbledore friendly as the Weasley's."

"If I should make a guess, it is probably Zabini who has turned evil. They are both Slytherins, Leia!"

"Don't you trust anyone who is not a Gryffindor?"

"WHAT IF I DON'T!" screamed Harry, making Leia step away from him. "YOU DON'T SEEM TO HAVE REALISED LEIA, THAT THERE ARE BACKSTABBERS AND BASTARDS IN THIS WORLD! WE ALL HAVE TO JUDGE, OR ELSE WE END UP DEAD, LEAVING VOLDEMORT TO FINISH WHAT HE HAS STARTED! SO YES, I JUDGE DRACO MALFOY BECAUSE HIS FATHER IS A DEATH EATER! HIS MOTHER'S SISTER KILLED MY GODFATHER AND YOUR FRIENDS WITHOUT BLINKING! IN THE YEARS I HAVE KNOW MALFOY, WHICH IS MANY MORE THAN YOU HAVE, HE HAS DONE NOTHING TO PROVE ME WRONG IN THINKING SO ABOUT HIM!"

"Then we really shouldn't be talking together, and surely not be friends!" yelled Leia back, for the first time sounding angry.

"And what has that to do with Malfoy?" yelled Harry back.

"BECAUSE BOTH MY MOTHER AND FATHER WERE DEATH EATERS!"

**A/N:** You are probably wondering what just happened. Oh, bugger. The cat is out of the bag. What has Leia been up to? Is she evil? And what will Harry think? Find out in the next chapter...


	8. Someone like him

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter VIII: Someone like him.**

Harry didn't know what to say. It seemed as if his tongue was glued to the bottom of his mouth. What had she just said? It couldn't be...please, not Leia...

"What did you say?" Harry whispered, when he was convinced that he had to have heard wrong.

"I said: 'Because both my mother and father were Death Eaters.'" Leia didn't sound the least bit angry anymore, just irritated.

Harry felt his knees go weak, so he sat down on the steps.

"What?" he asked finally.

"I don't know if you noticed," said Leia, sitting down next to him, "but I told Malfoy that I am of purer blood than him. Which is actually true. My family history is more chaotic than yours, though of course, not as famous. But I find it wise not to talk about my parents, because if I do, those I tell it to usually get that look you are wearing right now, of complete distrust and disbelief."

"Of course," said Harry, "you wouldn't have hidden it if you were on our side! You're as rotten as Malfoy! No worse, YOU'RE A BETRAYER!" They should never have told her about the Order! They should never have told her anything!

But deep, deep down, Harry wouldn't believe it. He refused to believe what his mind was telling him, that Leia was evil. She couldn't be, please, please don't let her be a betrayer...

"No, I'm not," answered Leia, as calm as ever.

"Then why did you hide it?" wondered Harry, hoping, praying, that he was wrong. "Why did you hide that you come from a family of killers?"

Was it Harry's fate, as it had been his parents, to be betrayed by his friends?

"Because I like to be judged for who I am," said Leia, looking Harry right in the eye, "not for who I was born to be. You have trusted me all this time, not knowing anything about me! When I let it slip that my parents, whom I don't even remember, are Death Eaters, you look at me as an enemy instead of a friend. _That's_ the reason why I hide it."

"Tell me why your story then," said Harry. "Tell me why you are innocent."

"Alright. We can start with my dad. He was put in Azkaban for what he did. Though he isn't there anymore."

"You mean he's escaped?"

"No. He died after a few years in there. He was put in Azkaban for the murder of my mother." Harry gasped.

"Yeah, great family life eh?" Leia sighed.

"I should start at the beginning... My father's family can be traced all the way back to the Roman Empire. Adrian Andronicus, my father, was the last of the once ruling Andronicus line. _Meliora Cognito_!"

"I work for the best?" guessed Harry. Latin wasn't his strongest subject.

"I think they said 'strive for the best', but yes, that was their family motto. They were widely known in the wizarding world for their ruthless treating of the lower classes. He met my mother, Libertine Barret, the only daughter of the French Barret family, whom I will be surprised if you haven't heard of."

"The Barret's?" said Harry disbelieving. Of course he knew the Barret's, they played a great part in all French magical history. Professor Binns had described them to the Gryffindors as the French version of the Malfoy family.

"Yes, exactly those Barret's. My parents married in 1973, with the blessing of the Barret's, my mother's family. My father was, as I said, the only one left of the Andronicus line, the rest of his family was killed in 1945, when they had sided with Grindelwald in the war."

"Then come the seventies. My parents must have moved to Britain at some point. From what I have managed to figure out through rumours, old papers and alike, my father was in You-Know-Who's inner circle, while my mother just supported my father's doings. Both of them enjoyed killing, I know they did in a fair few."

"And then, in 1979, my mother became pregnant and they had me, in the spring of 1980. But it seems that my birth made my mother see the light, because she turned against my father and said that what You-Know-Who was doing was wrong and that they should run away while that had the chance. My dad killed her for that, something that made even Death Eaters turn against him."

"Why?" wondered Harry.

"Because he had killed a healthy pure-blood witch! He had betrayed his own kind! But the Ministry got to him beforethe Death Eatersand he was put in Azkaban. And that's the end of the tale." But Harry didn't think so.

"What happened to you?"

"Ah, I forgot. The Aurors found me, when they came to search the house. The dark mark was raised above it, so I guess they were surprised when they found someone alive. In my file follows a long list of hospitals, homes and orphanages until the end of the war, a year and a half later. I don't remember any of it, but Mrs. Spot showed me my records when I was seven. She said it was no reason that I should grow up on a lie. That I better get used to the idea. I kept the name I had been given by the nurse, Leia, for I didn't like my given name. But I took my mother's first name as my last name. She must have had one good bone in her body. And it keeps me from being recognized so easily."

"What is your real name then?"

"Vernula Motifer Andronicus." When Harry realised what it meant, he clearly understood why Leia didn't use it. He wouldn't liked to be called death's servant either.

"Why didn't the Barret's take you in?" wondered Harry.

"Raise the child in whose veins runs the blood of their daughter's murderer?" said Leia. "The Barret's may be heartless in business, but they have never sided truly with You-Know-Who. They love their money and power too much to let the Dark Lord take it away from them."

"So you have never had any contact with any in your family?"

"Nope. I can't remember a thing about them. I have seen some pictures of my parents, but not many. They left me with nothing. No jewellery, no money, no house, no nothing. And still people judge me for being their child. 'Born to be a killer, she must be one herself!' 'She likes to kill, she looks like death herself!'" Leia mimicked in a childish voice. "I don't know how many times I've heard that before someone pushed my head down a toilet!" Now Leia laughed!

"With me it was always 'Hey Potter, I am just helping you! If I stick it in enough times, your hair might lie down!" Harry said, mimicking Dudley's voice.

"Do you see my point now?" asked Leia, now referring to what they originally had been talking about, judging people.

"Yes, I do," admitted Harry. "But with Malfoy, I just can't see him turning good. He is the most despicable, power-hungry, cowardly, selfish, sneaky, evil bastard I have met."

"Well, at least you see my point," said Leia as she got up. "That was actually more than I expected."

"Where were you at dinner by the way?" asked Harry as he joined her up the stairs.

"In the girl's lavatory. I have rarely been so angry. I had visions of hexing you, Hermione and Ron far into next year. Not that I could ever do that with my skills, but it felt good. I don't usually get angry."

"I've noticed," he said. "But you shouldn't skip meals. You're not...well, you don't exactly look like you eat too much."

"And that comes from you? You must be the skinniest person in the school, if you don't count me!" Leia looked at him while laughing. "I have always been this thin, as long as I can remember anyway. I hate it."

"Me too," said Harry. "No matter how much I eat, I still look like I have not seen food in a month."

At that, they both laughed, all anger forgotten. Harry was relieved beyond comparing, he had been wrong! Leia wasn't evil. She was if possible, even more like him, Voldemort having ruined her family as well.

Ron was sitting in his Quidditch robes together with Hermione when Leia came crawling in after Harry. After they had explained the whole gory story to Ron and Hermione, they weren't angry anymore either. Harry went up to change, and soon he and Ron was making their way down to the Quidditch pitch.

**A/N: **I hope you understood that bit. Ask if anything was unclear. Again, I am sorry for the misspellings, I know I'm hopeless. This was a short chapter, but don't worry, I won't make it a habit. If anyone would like to be my beta, that would be great, just let me know in a review.

All that's left to say now is; review!


	9. Halloween and other Happenings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter IX: Halloween and other Happenings**

The next week went so fast that it was over before it even started, Harrymused as he sat down in the Great Hall a week later. The Hall was decorated for Halloween, floating pumpkins and live bats everywhere. He couldn't believe that he had been at Hogwarts for two, whole months already, and most certainly not that it was only two months since he had first met Leia.

Leia was currently sharing a party-cracker with Ron, while Hermione was studying her new Self-Shuffling Playing Cards. Harry had never see the Hall as beautiful as it was now; the decorations even outdid the ones he had seen during the Triwizards Tournament. It seemed as if Dumbledore wanted the students to have the best time of their life, now that the future seemed so dark.Then he might just wanted to make up for the ruined Start-of-term feast.

Harry pushed the thoughts of Voldemort back, and joined in on Ron and Leia's joke. They looked like they were having the time of their life, trying out samples of Weasley's Wizards Wheezes sweets. Harry didn't think that could be a good idea if you wanted to live to see tomorrow, but he joined in after all, seeing his chances of becoming an adult were rather slim after all.

"Try this one!" said Ron, throwing a red one to Harry. Harry decided to be brave, and chewed it hard.

The next thing he knew, he breathed fire, and nearly sat the tablecloth on fire. Ron, Leia and Hermione were howling with laughter.

"You should have seen your face," Ron managed to say before he broke down in laughter again. As Harry cooled his throat down with some pumpkin juice, he nearly spat it out when Hermione suddenly had flowers instead of hair on her head. Both Leia and Ron, who seemingly had been lucky so far, and had only gotten candy, instead of jokes that were only pretending to be candy, rolled down under the table, Harry could hear them choking in laughter.

"-White lilies for hair-"

"-What if his tongue had caught on fire-"

"-Even her eyebrows turned to small poppies-"

Suddenly Harry felt something pricking on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Willow, the smallest boy from the orphanage.

"Excuse me, but do you know where Leia is?" he asked.

"Here," said Harry, and lifted up the tablecloth.

"Willow!" exclaimed Leia, crawling out from under the table. She hugged the boy, swinging him around, seating him on the table at last, both of the smiling. "And what are you doing here?"

Willow just smiled shyly.

"Is it what I think it is?" Leia asked, flashing the same smile as Ron had before handing Harry the fire breathing gum. Willow nodded with his whole body, smiling from ear to ear.

"Then we better find Damien, shouldn't we?" With that they both ran away, heading for the Ravenclaw table.

"What was that about?" asked Ron as he emerged from the tablecloth. "We were having such a good time!"

"At making fun of us?" asked Hermione as she put a violet round ball in Ron's open mouth. Ron widely protested, but it was too late. Seconds later, Ron produced the longest burp Harry had ever head. This time, it was his and Hermione's turn to break down such laughter fits that their eyes watered.

"That wasn't funny!" protested Ron, turning his usual red.

"Oh, I can assure you it was," Hermione choked out, still laughing, before she made to grab for another candy. Though she never made it, for at that moment something interrupted this feast too. Though this time it wasn't anything horrible, it was something that to Harry looked quite enjoyable. It was suddenly quite apparent what Leia and Willow had been up too.

The three of them (they had been joined by Damien) were standing in a distant corner of the hall, over by the windows doing some sort of childish dance. It didn't seem that they had noticed that most of the Hall was watching them. Leia was laughing heartily, Harry couldn't remember to have seen her so happy before. Soon the hall had turned so silent that they could hear the words.

"Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble! Double, double, toil and trouble! Something wicked this way comes!" While Leia and Damien danced around Willow, Harry noticed that more and more people were laughing.

"What are they doing?" he asked Ron.

"Its a children's game, called Double Trouble," said Ron, as if he didn't believe himself. "You do it at Halloween, it is supposed to bring bad luck to your enemies. I used to do it before, but I stopped a long before I started at Hogwarts. Those sorts of things are for children!" Then Damien started a new verse.

"Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog! Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, lizard's leg and owlet's wing!" Harry thought it was the most fabulous song he had ever heard.

And then, Leia noticed that the whole hall was watching them. She stopped abruptly, freezing with her hands over her head (she had just been playing a monster). The hall turned silent.

Damien stopped seconds later, looking frightened at the rest of the students. Willow didn't seem to have noticed what had happened, but when he was about to start the chorus again, his eyes turned as big as dinner plates.

Everyone in the hall seemed to start laughing at the same time. Leia, Willow and Damien looked like they hoped the floor would swallow them. But Harry wasn't laughing.

"Why are people laughing?" he asked Ron.

"Because of what they did," said Ron, looking like he had just paid Aragog a visit. "They could have stripped, and still not embarrassed themselves as much."

Leia looked like she thought the same as she made her way back to her seat. The howls of laughter from the Slytherin table made her blush, even more. When she sat down, she seemed to slump together, trying to make herself invisible.

"Are you okay?" asked Hermione, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Except for the fact that I have embarrassed myself in front of the whole school, no, I'm fine," Leia answered, looking quite angry with herself.

"Why did you do…what you just did?" asked Harry.

"We used to playDouble Troubleat the orphanage every Halloween. I didn't think this was what would happen. Willow wanted to play, and I couldn't refuse could I... Am I stupid or what? How could I have thought that we wouldn't embarrass ourselves!"

"I didn't think it was stupid," said Harry, making his three friends look at him with disbelief. "I would have joined if you'd asked."

"What?" said the three at the same time.

"I have never done things like that on Halloween. Usually I was just locked up in my cupboard, while Dudley was out playing trick or treat."

"Even I have had happier Halloweens than that," said Leia.

"What did you do on the orphanage?" asked Ron.

"Well, we had a feast, but nothing like this. Actually, it was just like another day, except that we had pumpkin pie for dessert, and then we played Double Trouble in the evening, outside on the fields. When 40 people are playing it, it takes some space."

"Do you miss it?" asked Hermione.

"Miss what?"

"The orphanage."

Leia suddenly stopped smiling, her face turning into the same sad look Harry had seen her with before.

"We don't have to talk about that now," Harry said, trying to avoid disaster. What was Hermione thinking, bringing up that subject now? But no one seemed to have heard Harry.

"I miss Juliette the most," said Leia. They all knew who Juliette was, Leia often mentioned her name. "But she wasn't into the whole sad thing, I never saw her cry once. Besides, people left all the time from the orphanage, many were adopted away. So we never bonded to strongly, knowing we would lose each other some day."

"But still," said Ron, "they were...killed."

"I know. I try not to think about it."

"Then let's not," said Harry. "Wheezer?" he said as he offered them the bowl of sweets. They all accepted, and soon their sorrows were forgotten, it happened somewhere in-between Leia's eye spinning or Ron's teeth suddenly disappearing when Hermione made him eat a blue one.

"This has to have been the best Halloween ever," exclaimed Leia as she hugged Damien good night. Harry, Hermione and Ron were waiting for her to say good-bye to her friends. Their arms were all full of sweets, a few bottles of butterbeer and as many of the Wizards Wheezes they could find.

"I think she is right, actually," said Ron. "I've never had so much fun. But what were you saying about learning the Double Trouble, Harry?"

"I asked if you could learn me."

"Learn you! Why ever would you like to learn that?" exclaimed Ron.

"Because I don't know it," he said, hoping that could trick Ron.

"Oh, alright then. The first thing you have to learn is the lyrics. They go like this," Ron cleared his throat, "Double, double, toil and trouble-"

"FIRE BURN AND CAULDRON BUBBLE!"

Leia and Damien was dancing and singing again, looking nothing like the 16 and 13 years they were.

"DOUBLE, DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES!"

And right they were, for Snape walked out in the entrance hall at that moment. Harry couldn't help himself, he laughed and laughed, all they way up to Gryffindor tower. Ron and Leia was still singing behind him.

"SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES!"

And with that, the evening ended, not even a distant shadow graced Harry's face.

OOO

They had been dismissed for all the classes the next day, seeing as they all would be tired and that it only was one day till the weekend started. The first visit to Hogsmeade would be on Saturday and everybody was looking forward to it. Harry didn't think he could go because he would need so much security, but when he had asked McGonagall, she had told him otherwise.

"There will be many Aurors guarding the students, no matter if you go or not. I don't think one student more or less will not make a difference."

The fact that they didn't have classes didn't mean that Harry wasn't doing schoolwork. With three evenings for Quidditch practise and one for the DA meeting, he spent every spare minute on his homework. The dream of becoming an Auror was what kept him going on. If he once could be as cool as Dom...

When Saturday came, Harry, Ron, Leia and Hermione walked out of the gate, heading towards Hogsmeade. The four of them were silent; the day was too beautiful to be described with words. The yellow and red leaves form the trees fluttered through the air. The allé they and the other students were walking down had the lake on the left-hand side, and the snow topped mountains on the other. None of them saw much of the outside in broad daylight these days; they were always inside during the day. A few birds sung somewhere in the distance and the sun highlighted every ripple in the lake.

They first went to Zonko's, where Harry and Ron bought as many Dungbombs as they could fit into their pockets. Hermione, for once, didn't mind Ron's 'illegal' behaviour and laughed along when Ron planned how he would hex the dungbombs to float above Filch's door, so that they would fall down on him when her opened the door. After paying for their mischief, they decided that it was time for a butterbeer. They were lucky enough to get a table by the fire at the Three Broomsticks.

"Four butterbeers then?" said Harry as he went go get their drinks.

"I'm not having," said Leia, "so make that three."

"Don't you like butterbeer?" asked Ron, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"No, it's just..." Leia was suddenly very interested in her hands. "I don't have any money to pay it with, alright?" she mumbled, not meeting their eyes.

"Don't worry," said Harry, "Drink's are on me."

For that, Harry was given a smile from Leia that warmed him more than any butterbeer ever had.

But when Minerva McGonagall, came bursting in to the Three broomsticks ten minutes to twelve, her cheeks flushed and her hair out of place, Harry knew his day had just taken a very, very, bad turn.

Harry met his Professor's eyes, asMcGonagall hurried through the crowd, knocking over butterbeers, firewhiskeys and students. But that didn't seem to bother her. Her sole thought seemed to be to get to Harry as fast as possible.

"Mr. Potter, you must come with me at once," she said as she was nearly at their table. Harry was already pulling on his cloak,while Hermione, Ron and Leia were doing the same.

"No, only Mr. Potter is going with me," said McGonagall sternly, all warmth gone from her voice.

"But Professor-" started Ron.

"This is serious, Mr. Weasley! Harry has to come now, and you cannot go with him, nor you, Ms. Granger! Say goodbye now, we don't have much time."

"Good bye? What do you mean?" Harry stared shocked at McGonagall.

"Yes, goodbye, Mr. Potter. The war has started now."

Harry turned to Ron, Leia and Hermione. Was this the last time he saw them? His best friends?

Hermione seemed to think the same, she was already crying. She hugged Harry just as fiercely as he hugged her.

This wasn't happening...

"I'll see you soon," she whispered before kissing him on the cheek.

Harry only needed to look at Ron. Eyes said it all. Best friends. Forever.

"I'll be wanting these back," Harry said as he emptied his pockets for the dungbombs.

And then there was Leia. She just stood there.

"Thank you, Harry Potter," she said, with that same sad smile.

"For what?"

"The first butterbeer I have ever tasted," she whispered. Hermione tried to choke a sob then, but she couldn't do it, and hid her face in Ron's chest.

"See you soon," said Harry with a voice much braver than he thought he could master, before he followed McGonagall. The whole pub watched had watched what had happened. Harry passed many faces he knew. The Creevey brothers. Ginny Weasley. Neville.

He would see them again soon, he told himself. There was no way he was not coming back. No way he was giving up.

He would see them soon, he would see them soon, he would see them soon...

OOO

Harry followed Professor McGonagall out of the pub and into an empty side street. She stopped there, before she took a half-burnt candle out of her pocket and gave it to Harry, though she didn't let go of it.

"We are portkeying to the Headmaster's office," she informed him, while checking her wristwatch. "Any minute now."

A second laterHarry felt the familiar tug behind his navel, before he rushed along side with McGonagall in the flashing lights.

Harry stumbled onto the floor and nearly knocked his head on Dumbledore's desk. The circular room was full of Order members, including Remus Lupin, shabby looking as ever, Tonks, still sporting her pink hair, Mad-Eye Moody, no more body parts missing then the last time Harry had seen him, and Dom Bloom was also present.

But sitting right in front of Harry was Albus Dumbledore. He was staring at Harry from behind his half-moon spectacles.

"What has happened?" asked Harry, cutting it straight to the case.

"Last night, Harry, Lord Voldemort again attacked Azkaban, freeing the last of his supporters. Yet, he does not know that we put a tracking charm on some of them, without their knowledge of course. We know where he is hiding and we will attack as soon as possible, before he can gather even more followers. I trust you know what I am asking of you?"

"That I shall face Lord Voldemort in battle tonight," Harry said, a shiver running down his spine.

"Yes, that is what it means. As you all are aware of," Dumbledore said, now not only looking at Harry, "this is a battle of life and death. Some of us may not live to see another dawn. But remember, death is a gift to men, not a curse. Things are more beautiful because we are doomed. We love stronger because every moment might be our last. I ask for your lives, as I give my own freely." Everyone was silent as the grave.

"There will be some minutes yet till we leave. Prepare yourself in the way you find best. Good luck to you all."

Harry stood there, unable to comprehend what might happen tonight. He might die tonight. He might see his parents and Sirius again tonight.

But the thought didn't bring the relief it usually gave. He didn't want to leave this world, he wanted to live. He wanted to try firewhiskey with Ron, he wanted to watch Ron and Hermione get together. He wanted to get a girlfriend. He wanted to have sex, make love, have children, buy a house, and teach his son how to ride a broom.

At that moment, Harry James Potter, aged 16, decided that he was not going to die, before he had done those things. Which meant, he was not dying tonight. There was no way he would allow that to happen. No _bloody_ way.

Harry was snapped out of his reverie when a hand was put on his shoulder. He looked up at Remus Lupin, werewolf and friend.

"You alright there?" Lupin asked concerned.

"I've had a long time to get used to the thought," Harry said. Lupin didn't seem to like his answer.

"Promise me you wont do anything foolhardy today, Harry, like running after Bellatrix Lestrange. Myself, Tonks and Moody will be circling around you, protecting you from the Death Eaters, trying to get you as close to Voldemort as possible. No, Harry, it is not because we think you can't defend yourself, it is because we care about you," Lupin said as Harry tried to protest.

"You must understand that many of us love you as our own son, Harry, I am one of them. James would have killed us if we let anything happen to you."

"I don't think he would be too happy if I let you die," said Harry back. "Your life is worth as much as mine."

"But it is you that has to go on, Harry. Not me, not even Dumbledore. You have shown time after time that you are braver than few," said Lupin. "You must trust us enough to know that we are brave enough to protect you with our life. We do this freely."

"I don't want anybody to die because of me."

"If there had been anything I could have done to prevent that, I would have. But there isn't, Harry. People will die today. People will die defending you. All you can do is make sure they don't die in vain."

"By killing Voldemort," said Harry. That was the only thing he could do. "I'll try, Lupin, I really will."

**A/N: **I said I wouldn't make it easy for them...The faster you review, the faster I'll update.


	10. Who is to blame?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, places, names, plots, historical incidents in the magical world, ghosts, objects or anything else that the genius J. K. Rowling has come up with. But do try not to steal my plot. Ask nicely and I might let you.**

**Harry Potter and the Light of Life**

**Chapter X: Who is to blame?**

The sound of running feet was the only thing Harry heard in the darkness that surrounded him. Where was he? The memories of battle were fresh in his mind as he prayed he would not wake up in captivity.

Harry took a deep breath before he opened his eyes and looked around him. The world was in a blur, but he recognized the room; the hospital wing at Hogwarts.

He sank back down into the pillows. He was safe.

The footsteps were getting louder, obviously running towards the hospital wing. Or perhaps he should have said sprinting. He heard the door crash open, quickly followed by Madam Pomfrey's voice yelling loudly at whoever had entered.

"We have to see him!"

He knew that voice! Hermione!

"I'm here!" Harry yelled. "Over here!" Not more than 12 hours could have passed since he had last seen Ron and Hermione, but after what he had been through, it seemed like forever.

"Harry? HARRY!"

What was unmistakably Ron's voice rung through the room, before he could hear them running in his direction again. Seconds later they were on top of him, crushing him into the bed.

"Ouch!"

Harry couldn't help it, but his ribs hurt as Hermione crushed him. He had obviously broken a few of them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Hermione said between tears. "We were so worried. Are you injured?"

"I'm alright. Fell down some stairs, that's all. Otherwise I'm fine. Where's Leia?"

"In the prefect's bathroom," answered Hermione, not sounding the least bit interested. "Never do that again, Harry. We were so worried you wouldn't make it."

"But I made it, didn't I? Thought I do think I have to fight again. The war has only just begun."

"It's not that," said Ron. "Leia said that…that…"

"What did she say? Did she make a prediction about me?"

"No…err…yes…err…Hermione?"

"It's not important. It's nothing." Alright, then it was definitely something.

"How are you, Harry?" asked Ron, seeming very interested in talking about something else.

"I'll live. But there were some close ones." Harry continued to tell them about the battle, of Voldemort's interrogation and everything else. Ron was relieved when Harry told him that neither Bill nor Mr. Weasley had been injured.

"What happened here after I left?" he asked when there was nothing more to say.

Harry thought this was a fairly easy question, but judging by the way Ron and Hermione looked at each other, he was wrong.

"The Aurors took everyone back to Hogwarts immediately. And then…" Ron seemed unable to continue.

"What happened? No one was hurt, were they? And what was that thing about Leia?"

"No, Harry, no one was hurt," Hermione ensured him. "But yes, it has to do with what Leia said. You see, we made her…See. We were all so anxious to know what was happening to you and she wanted to know as much as us."

"And?"

"She Saw many things. I wrote them down as fast as I could. But then…" Harry had never seen Hermione unable to explain herself.

"What did she See, Hermione?"

"She Saw...made a prediction…aboutyour prophesy," whispered Hermione, burying her head in her hands. As realisation hit Harry, he felt his heart stop.

Since the morning in Dumbledore's office, whenHarry had been informed of his fate, he had felt alienated from the rest of the world, from everyone. There had been times over the summer when he had tried to tell Ron and Hermione about what would come, but every time, the words seemed stuck some deep place inside of him. If they knew, he would just become even more abnormal, even more The Boy Who Lived.

"Why didn't you tell us, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"I…I… I don't know," stuttered Harry. "It's not because I don't trust you or anything, it's just…what did really Leia say?"

"She said that you were doomed to kill Voldemort…or be killed by him. That only you had the power to defeat him in the end. And that you weren't strong enough yet. We thought…"

"That I was going to die." Hermione's eyes had turned glassy.

"Mate…" stared Ron. "When McGonagall came to tell us that you were alright… I haven't been so relieved since mom sent that owl saying that dad would live after the snake attack. Hermione and Ginny broke down in tears, but don't worry, no one besides me and Hermione heard what Leia said. But that didn't mean the rest of them weren't happy to hear you'd made it. Neville was dancing on the table with Ginny when we left."

"Why didn't Leia come with you then?"

"One of the dungbombs exploded in her pocket. She had to take a bath. I lent her the Prefect's bathroom," said Hermione. "She left minutes before McGonagall came."

"Wonder if she even knows you have come back?" said Ron. But Harry couldn't care less about exploding dungbombs now; he was just relieved to be back at Hogwarts with his two best friends.

For the next half-hour Harry, Ron and Hermione talked without any interruptions from Madam Pomfrey. Harry was eating the chocolate she had put on his tray, while he told how Dumbledore had blamed himself for Sirius' death and of Dumbledore's fatal decision to hide the truth from Harry. He also tried to explain why he hadn't told them about all of this before.

"If you knew, it would make it more, err, final, in a way. You two always worry over me. This isn't something to worry about. It will happen, no matter how much we wish it could go away. I want you to have a life, not just worrying about me."

"We have a life, Harry, a life with you. We are your friends remember?" said Hermione. "We won't leave you when things become hard. If that was the case, then we would never be friends in the first place. Fluffy, remember? The troll on Halloween? Not to mention the Philosopher's stone!"

"She's right, you know," said Ron. "Who would ever become friends withyou, who is the favourite target of the baddest wizard in a thousand years? Well, I guess no one who's sane would do it, but you can't have everything you know."

"I'm more than pleased with the two of you," said Harry. "What did Leia say, exactly, anyway?"

"I wrote it down," said Hermione, "but I left them in my dormitory. Sorry."

"Doesn't matter, I'll see them tomorrow. But right now, I think we have stretched Madam Pomfrey's patience to the breaking point. You should go."

"Yeah," yawned Ron. "See you tomorrow."

"Sleep tight, Harry."

With that, Hermione and Ron walked hand in hand out of the hospital wing, though Harry didn't think they knew what they were doing.

OOO

Madam Pomfrey gave him strict orders to stay in bed the next day, so he was forced to skip lessons. Many people sent him get-well cards and sweets, which he enjoyed while reading up on History of Magic (Hermione had been kind enough to bring him his books). Ginny had brought him a toilet seat (she smuggled it in under her robe), while the DA had sent him a mountain of Chocolate Frogs.

But not all seemed to think that sending their greeting was enough, like Luna. She had stopped by for the lunch, but along with her singing card, she had also brought pictures of the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks she had seen during her vacation in Sweden this summer. Harry had looked at the moving pictures of the forest for a long time, without seeing anything that could resemble a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, but Lunasaid that it rarely showed itself, for it was very shy.

The most unpleasant visit was right after dinner, though. Harry had been dozing of when he felt, rather than heard, that someone was in the room. He had looked up and found Leia standing there.

He didn't really have a reason to be angry at her, not even irritated, but he still was. She had told Ron and Hermione his secret. They shouldn't have known. Not yet anyway…

"Good afternoon," she started with.

Why did she always have to be so polite?

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine, just relaxing."

"No pain then? I heard you'd broken a few ribs," Leia said as she handed him a handmade get-well card.

"Madam Pomfrey fixed it in a heartbeat. What do you want?"

"Nothing. Oh…err…well… I am really sorry for telling Ron and Hermione about…you know. I swear I didn't mean to. I have no idea what I say when I See."

"I know," said Harry. Why did it still sound as if he didn't believe her?

"Oh, good, err…"

The silence that followed was not a good one. Harry knew what he should say; it was something along the lines of, 'No, I don't blame you.' But he didn't mean it. He blamed Leia.

"I'll just go…" said Leia, before she was gone in the swish of her robes. Harry sighed and ate another Chocolate Frog.

OOO

A week or so later, the hall was summing with excitement as Harry and Ron came down to breakfast. Everyone seemed to be craning their necks to get a look at something on the Slytherin table.

"What's happened?" Ron asked Ginny.

"You won't believe it!" she squealed."Malfoy has been beaten up, really badly. His face is full of bruises and all!"

Ron got up, and since he was taller than them all, he managed to get a good view.

"Christ! That's got to bloody hurt! Wonder who did it to him? I want to thank them for doing such a good job."

Harry spotted Malfoy on his way out of the hall and the Slytherin did really look like he'd spent the night in a small box, shared with Norbert and a couple of Blast-Ended Shrewts. Malfoy kept the hood on his robes up, but no robe could hide his limping. Most surprisingly, Malfoy walked alone. Neither Crabbe, Goyle nor Zabini was with him.

What had happened?

The teachers had obviously discovered that something had happened, but Malfoy didn't seem to want anyone's help, not even Snape's. But in the end, he followed Madam Pomfrey in the direction of the hospital wing.

Rumours immediately started going. At first, Harry himself was supposed to have beaten him up, but no one believed that, not even Snape it seemed for he wasn't nastier to Harry than usual.

But around dinner time, more frightening rumours started floating around. The word was saying that the Slytherins themselves had beaten up their prince. Parvati could tell them that Pansy Parkinson was said to have ordered Crabbe and Goyle to corner Malfoy yesterday and show him 'how it went with those who didn't protect their own.'

"There is no way Malfoy has switched sides," said Ron as they met up with Hermione later. "He is as evil as evil gets."

But it certainly seemed like it, for the next day Malfoy was not once seen with anyone of his usual gang. Again he could be seen trailing behind Zabini, his shoulders sunk, not looking anyone in the eye.

"There has to be something seriously wrong," said Hermione that night in the common room. "What if he really has broken with his family?"

"No way," said Ron. "Malfoy loves his money and power to give it up. But what if his father has done something to upset You-Know-Who?"

"I don't think so," said Hermione. "Lucius Malfoy is Voldemort's right hand. What do you think, Harry?"

Harry was thinking along the same lines as Hermione. What if Malfoy truly had left his family behind? But why, he was a Slytherin, after all. He would never have given up his position as the prince of darkness if it hadn't made him even more powerful than he already was.

"I think Hermione is right. Neither Crabbe nor Goyle would have dared to beat up the son of Voldemort's closest servant, if said son had been as faithful as his father. Malfoy must have switched sides, though I have no idea why."

"Are you saying we should trust Malfoy!" spluttered Ron.

"'Course not," said Harry. "He can be a spy. Do you think we should ask Dumbledore what is going on, Hermione?"

"_Professor_ Dumbledore. Yes, that is a good idea. But will he tell you?"

"He has made mistakes not telling me what is going on before. I don't think he will make the same mistake again."

The next morning which was Saturday, Harry was just about to get up from the table to go up to Dumbledore, when Leia sat down next to him. The look she gave him told him that he could forget all about leaving for the next minutes.

AfterLeia had revealed Harry's fate to Ron and Hermione, Harry hadn't shared more than strained words with her. She was still always with him, Ron and Hermione, but she and Harry never really spoke, just simple things like 'Good morning'. Harry didn't like the situation, as it made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn't know how he could stop blaming her in his heart. She had told his secret!

"Hi, Harry."

"Hi. I was just about to-"

"This is important." Okay, no escaping this then.

"If it is about the prophesy, then I am really not angry at you anymore, not that I ever was, it's just-"

"It's not that. It's about Malfoy. Do you remember what I told you weeks and weeks ago, when we argued?"

"You said many things about-," then realisation hit Harry. "You said Malfoy had switched sides."

"Yes, I did."

"I'm sorry, Leia, I…" Harry felt like an idiot.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Harry. All I am saying is that I hope you have learned and that you won't make the same mistake again." If possible, Harry felt even more like an idiot. He also felt guilty.

"I'll try," said Harry. "And I am sorry about not talking to you and all; I just didn't know what to say."

"I was as much my fault. I didn't talk to you either, did I?"

"Yeah. Friends again?"

"Sure. What were you about to do anyway?"

"I was going to see Dumbledore, about Malfoy."

"Then it was good that I caught you. I think something terrible will happen to him. Do you remember the prediction I made about Lucius Malfoy escaping from prison? The last sentence was: '_no one will suffer more than his single seed.'_ I'll bet my life that is Malfoy."

"You're right. Again. I'll tell Dumbledore, maybe he can do something." If Malfoy really had switched sides, Harry would try to help him. Never befriend him, but saving him from the claws of the Death Eaters was another thing completely

"I won't keep you any longer. Good luck."

"Thanks," said Harry, before he got up and made his way to Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore seemed to be expecting him, for he was standing and _talking_ to the statue guarding his office.

"-yes, that is the new password. Now I trust you to remember it, for I am afraid my memory is not as good as it used to be. Now I wonder where Harry is...Ah, Harry."

"Professor, I wondered if I might have a word."

"Of course, of course. Wheezer," he said, and the statue of the stepped aside. Soon they were seated in the comfortable armchairs in front of a crackling fire. Dumbledore had conjured a cup of hot chocolate for them both.

"Now, Harry, why have you come to see an old man on a Saturday morning? I trust you have more exiting things to do."

"You know that thing about Malfoy?" Dumbledore nodded. "Can you tell me what has happened? Has Malfoy changed sides?"

"That is a Mr. Malfoy's personal case. I'm sorry, but I can not tell you."

"The thing is that Leia had a prediction about him. She said none would suffer more than Malfoy when his father escaped prison."

"I see," said Dumbledore. "She said nothing more?"

"I thought you knew everything that went on in the castle."

"I know many things, but not everything, the future least of all. I knew Ms. Libertine was a Seer, but her every prediction I do not know."

"Why don't you make Leia see what will happen in the war?" wondered Harry, finally asking the question that had buggered him for months.

"If we knew what the future would bring, it would not make it any easier to face it. For as we can see all the good things that would happen, we would also be able to see the bad. What if you found out one of your closest friends were dying? Or what if it has already been decided who will win the war? Are you sure you would like to know then, Harry?"

"No. But if we knew what was happening, could we not prevent it?"

"The future is the only thing we can be sure is coming. Preventing something that is predicted to happen is impossible, for it will somehow happen anyway. Life will always find a mysterious way to fate, for the two are connected at the core."

Harry didn't always understand Dumbledore.

"But if the terrible thing that was to happen to Malfoy was that Crabbe and Goyle beat him up, we could have prevented it," Harry said. "If we had told you what Leia said then-"

"But you didn't Harry, and fate became life. Young Mr. Malfoy is going through a hard time at the moment, which is all I am willing to tell you. Do not pester him, leave him alone to think. I know you want to know what has happened, but he must tell you himself, or else you will never know."

"Then I will never know."

"You might be wrong there, Harry," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses.

"If you say so."

"But shouldn't you be practising Quidditch? The first match of year is tomorrow, Gryffindor versus Slytherin."

"The team isn't what it used to be. The new chasers aren't working together properly yet. Ron's doing alright though, and the beaters aren't as bad as they used to be. Still, if we beat Slytherin it would be nothing short of a miracle."

"Then let us hope a miracle will happen tomorrow. Minerva is getting quite fond of the Quidditch Cup in her office."

"We'll try. Good day, and thanks for the chocolate."

"Take care, Harry."

**A/N: **Yet another chapter. I left out the battle for a reason, just so you know. There will be more battles later though; this will sadly not be the last. Thank you to my five reviewers! I can not say how fond I am of you! Thank you, thank you, thank you to **Porcelain Prayer, WolfWriter501, amy, Brigade701 and infallallthingsaremadesplended. **This update is for of you!


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